How do you do a mail merge in gmail

Gmail doesn't have a built-in mail merge feature like Microsoft Outlook or other email clients. However, you can use a combination of Gmail's labels and filters, along with a third-party add-on or a script, to achieve a similar result. Here are a few methods:

Method 1: Using Gmail's Labels and Filters

  1. Create a label for each recipient group (e.g., "Recipients - Group A", "Recipients - Group B", etc.).
  2. Create a filter for each label that applies the label to incoming emails with specific criteria (e.g., sender, subject, keywords).
  3. Write a template email with placeholders for the recipient's name and other relevant information.
  4. Use Gmail's "Insert canned response" feature to insert the template email into a new email.
  5. Use the "To" field to select the recipients for each label.
  6. Send the email to each label group.

Method 2: Using a Third-Party Add-on

  1. Install a third-party add-on like "Gmail Mail Merge" or "AutoPager" from the Chrome Web Store.
  2. Configure the add-on to connect to your Gmail account.
  3. Create a template email with placeholders for the recipient's name and other relevant information.
  4. Use the add-on to merge the template email with your contact list.
  5. Send the merged email to each recipient.

Method 3: Using a Script

  1. Install a script like "Gmail Mail Merge" or "Gmail Script" from the Chrome Web Store.
  2. Configure the script to connect to your Gmail account.
  3. Create a template email with placeholders for the recipient's name and other relevant information.
  4. Use the script to merge the template email with your contact list.
  5. Send the merged email to each recipient.

Here's an example of a simple script you can use:

function mailMerge() {
  var template = "Hello {{name}},\n\nThis is a test email.";
  var contacts = ["John Doe", "Jane Smith", "Bob Johnson"];
  var subject = "Test Email";

  contacts.forEach(function(contact) {
    var email = template.replace("{{name}}", contact);
    GmailApp.sendEmail(contact, subject, email);
  });
}

This script uses the Gmail API to send a test email to each contact in the list, replacing the {{name}} placeholder with the actual contact name.

Keep in mind that these methods may have limitations and may not be as robust as a dedicated mail merge tool. However, they can help you achieve a similar result using Gmail's built-in features and third-party add-ons or scripts.