Mail merge with an attachment

Mail merge with an attachment! That's a powerful combination.

Mail merge is a feature in Microsoft Word that allows you to combine a main document with a data source, such as an Excel spreadsheet or a database, to create multiple personalized documents. When you add an attachment to the mail merge process, you can include files such as images, documents, or other types of files that are relevant to the recipient.

Here's a step-by-step guide on how to perform a mail merge with an attachment:

Prerequisites:

1. Microsoft Word 2010 or later version
2. A data source (e.g., Excel spreadsheet, database, or CSV file)
3. A main document (e.g., Word document) that you want to merge with the data source

Step 1: Set up your data source

Create a data source that contains the information you want to use for the mail merge. This can be an Excel spreadsheet, a database, or a CSV file. Make sure the data source has the following columns:

• A unique identifier column (e.g., "Name", "Email", etc.)
• The fields you want to use for the mail merge (e.g., "Address", "Phone Number", etc.)

Step 2: Create a main document

Create a main document in Microsoft Word that you want to merge with the data source. This document should contain placeholders for the fields you want to merge. For example, if you want to merge the "Name" and "Address" fields, you would insert placeholders like "{MERGEFIELD Name}" and "{MERGEFIELD Address}".

Step 3: Set up the mail merge

1. Open your main document and go to the "Mailings" tab in the ribbon.
2. Click on "Select Recipients" and choose "Use an existing list" or "Create a new list".
3. Select your data source file (e.g., Excel spreadsheet, CSV file, etc.).
4. Click "OK" to set up the mail merge.

Step 4: Add an attachment

1. Go to the "Mailings" tab in the ribbon and click on "Insert Merge Field".
2. Select the field you want to use as the attachment (e.g., "Attachment" or "File").
3. Click on the "Attachment" button next to the field.
4. Browse to the location of the file you want to attach and select it.
5. Click "OK" to add the attachment.

Step 5: Merge the documents

1. Click on the "Merge" button in the "Mailings" tab to start the mail merge process.
2. Word will create a new document for each recipient in your data source, using the information from the data source to fill in the placeholders in the main document.
3. The attachment will be included in each merged document.

Tips and Variations:

• You can add multiple attachments to a single mail merge by repeating the process in Step 4.
• You can also use conditional logic to include attachments based on specific conditions in your data source.
• If you're using an Excel spreadsheet as your data source, you can use formulas to dynamically generate the attachment file names or paths.

By following these steps, you can create a powerful mail merge with an attachment that helps you automate the process of sending personalized documents with relevant files to your recipients.