How to create an if...then...else rule for mail merge

In Microsoft Word, you can create an IF...THEN...ELSE rule for mail merge using the IF field and the THEN and ELSE keywords. Here's a step-by-step guide:

Prerequisites:

  1. Your data source (e.g., Excel spreadsheet, Access database, or CSV file) should be set up and linked to your Word document.
  2. You should have a basic understanding of mail merge and its syntax.

Creating the IF...THEN...ELSE rule:

  1. Open your Word document and go to the location where you want to insert the rule.
  2. Type IF followed by a condition (e.g., IF { MERGEFIELD Company } = "ABC").
  3. Use the THEN keyword to specify what to do if the condition is true (e.g., THEN "This is an ABC company").
  4. Use the ELSE keyword to specify what to do if the condition is false (e.g., ELSE "This is not an ABC company").
  5. Close the IF field by typing FI (without the quotes).

Here's an example:

IF { MERGEFIELD Company } = "ABC" THEN "This is an ABC company" ELSE "This is not an ABC company" FI

How it works:

When you run the mail merge, Word will evaluate the condition specified in the IF field. If the condition is true, it will insert the text specified in the THEN clause. If the condition is false, it will insert the text specified in the ELSE clause.

Tips and variations: