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
- Create a label for each recipient group (e.g., "Recipients - Group A", "Recipients - Group B", etc.).
- Create a filter for each label that applies the label to incoming emails with specific criteria (e.g., sender, subject, keywords).
- Write a template email with placeholders for the recipient's name and other relevant information.
- Use Gmail's "Insert canned response" feature to insert the template email into a new email.
- Use the "To" field to select the recipients for each label.
- Send the email to each label group.
Method 2: Using a Third-Party Add-on
- Install a third-party add-on like "Gmail Mail Merge" or "AutoPager" from the Chrome Web Store.
- Configure the add-on to connect to your Gmail account.
- Create a template email with placeholders for the recipient's name and other relevant information.
- Use the add-on to merge the template email with your contact list.
- Send the merged email to each recipient.
Method 3: Using a Script
- Install a script like "Gmail Mail Merge" or "Gmail Script" from the Chrome Web Store.
- Configure the script to connect to your Gmail account.
- Create a template email with placeholders for the recipient's name and other relevant information.
- Use the script to merge the template email with your contact list.
- 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.