Send a mail merge from outlook
To send a mail merge from Outlook, you'll need to use a combination of Outlook's built-in features and a mail merge template. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you get started:
Prerequisites:
- You have Microsoft Office installed on your computer, including Outlook and Word.
- You have a list of contacts in Outlook that you want to send the mail merge to.
- You have a mail merge template created in Word.
Step 1: Create a mail merge template in Word
- Open Word and create a new document.
- Go to the "Mailings" tab in the ribbon.
- Click on "Select Recipients" and choose "Use an existing list" to select your Outlook contacts.
- Choose the contact list you want to use and click "OK".
- Design your mail merge template by adding placeholders for the recipient's name, email address, and any other relevant information.
- Save the document as a Word template (.dotx or.dotm).
Step 2: Set up the mail merge in Outlook
- Open Outlook and go to the "Contacts" folder.
- Select the contact list you want to send the mail merge to.
- Right-click on the selected contacts and choose "Create a new email message using a template".
- In the "Create a new email message" window, select the mail merge template you created in Word.
- Click "OK" to create the new email message.
Step 3: Run the mail merge
- In the new email message, click on the "Mailings" tab in the ribbon.
- Click on "Finish & Merge" to run the mail merge.
- Choose the option to "Send email messages" and select the contacts you want to send the mail merge to.
- Click "OK" to send the mail merge.
Tips and Variations:
- You can customize the mail merge template to include additional fields, such as company name, job title, or phone number.
- You can also use Outlook's built-in "Rules" feature to automate the mail merge process and send the emails to specific contacts based on certain conditions.
- If you have a large number of contacts, you may want to consider using a third-party add-in, such as Mail Merge Toolkit, to simplify the process.