How to make mail merge in excel
Mail merge is a powerful feature in Excel that allows you to combine data from a spreadsheet with a document template to create multiple documents with unique information. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to make a mail merge in Excel:
Prerequisites:
- Excel 2010 or later version
- A document template (e.g., Word document, PDF, or text file)
- A spreadsheet with data you want to merge
Step 1: Prepare your data
- Open your spreadsheet and make sure it has the following:
- A header row with column names (e.g., "Name", "Address", "Email")
- Data in the subsequent rows
- No blank rows or columns
Step 2: Create a mail merge template
- Open your document template (e.g., Word document) and create a new document or open an existing one.
- Insert a table or a text box where you want to merge the data.
- Save the document as a template (e.g., "Mail Merge Template.docx").
Step 3: Set up the mail merge
- In Excel, go to the "Data" tab and click on "From Other Sources" > "From Microsoft Query".
- In the "Query Wizard", select "Use an existing worksheet" and choose your spreadsheet.
- Click "Finish" to create a query.
Step 4: Define the merge fields
- In the "Query Wizard", click on "Fields" and select the columns you want to merge (e.g., "Name", "Address", "Email").
- Click "OK" to close the "Fields" dialog box.
Step 5: Merge the data
- In the "Query Wizard", click on "Merge" and select the document template you created earlier.
- Choose the table or text box where you want to merge the data.
- Click "OK" to start the merge process.
Step 6: Review and save the merged documents
- Excel will create a new document for each record in your spreadsheet, merging the data with the template.
- Review the merged documents to ensure they are correct.
- Save the merged documents in a folder or send them via email.
Tips and Variations:
- Use the "Mail Merge" button in the "Data" tab to quickly merge data without creating a query.
- Use the "Merge" button in the "Query Wizard" to merge data with a specific document template.
- Use the "Mail Merge" feature in Word to merge data with a Word document template.
- Use the "Power Query" feature in Excel to create more complex data transformations and merges.
By following these steps, you can create a mail merge in Excel and automate the process of combining data with a document template.