How to send a mail merge in word

Mail merge is a powerful feature in Microsoft Word that allows you to combine a document with a data source, such as an Excel spreadsheet or a database, to create multiple personalized documents. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to send a mail merge in Word:

Prerequisites:

  1. You have a data source (e.g., an Excel spreadsheet or a database) with the information you want to use for the mail merge.
  2. You have a Word document that you want to use as the template for the mail merge.

Step 1: Set up your data source

  1. Open your data source (e.g., Excel spreadsheet or database) and make sure it's organized in a way that makes sense for your mail merge. For example, if you're sending a letter to customers, you might have columns for name, address, and order information.
  2. Save your data source file.

Step 2: Create a new Word document

  1. Open Microsoft Word and create a new document.
  2. Type in the text you want to use as the template for your mail merge. This can include headings, paragraphs, and any other text you want to include.
  3. Use Word's formatting tools to style your text as needed.

Step 3: Set up the mail merge

  1. Go to the "Mailings" tab in the ribbon.
  2. Click on "Select Recipients" and then choose "Use an Existing List" from the dropdown menu.
  3. Browse to your data source file and select it.
  4. Click "OK" to import the data into Word.

Step 4: Insert merge fields

  1. Place your cursor where you want to insert a merge field (e.g., a customer's name or address).
  2. Go to the "Mailings" tab in the ribbon.
  3. Click on "Insert Merge Field" and select the field you want to insert from the dropdown menu.
  4. Repeat this process for each merge field you want to include.

Step 5: Preview and refine the merge

  1. Click on the "Preview Results" button to see how the mail merge will look with the data inserted.
  2. Review the merge to make sure everything looks correct.
  3. Refine the merge as needed by adjusting the formatting or inserting additional merge fields.

Step 6: Send the mail merge

  1. Click on the "Finish & Merge" button.
  2. Choose whether you want to print the merged documents or save them as a new file.
  3. If you choose to print, Word will print each merged document separately.
  4. If you choose to save, Word will save each merged document as a separate file.

Tips and Variations: