What is mail merge in word 2013

Mail merge is a feature in Microsoft Word that allows you to combine a main document with a data source, such as a database or a spreadsheet, to create multiple versions of the document with unique information. This feature is commonly used for tasks such as:

1. Creating personalized letters or emails to a large number of recipients.
2. Generating reports with unique information for each recipient.
3. Creating labels or envelopes with unique information for each recipient.

In Word 2013, the mail merge feature is accessed through the "Mailings" tab in the ribbon. Here's a step-by-step guide to using mail merge in Word 2013:

1. Open your main document in Word 2013.
2. Go to the "Mailings" tab in the ribbon.
3. Click on the "Start Mail Merge" button in the "Create" group.
4. Select the type of document you want to create (e.g. "Letters", "Envelopes", "Labels", etc.).
5. Choose the data source you want to use for the mail merge. This can be a database, a spreadsheet, or a text file.
6. Click on the "Select Recipients" button to choose the data source.
7. If you're using a database or spreadsheet, you'll need to specify the fields you want to use for the mail merge. For example, if you're creating a letter, you might want to use the "Name" and "Address" fields.
8. Click on the "Insert Merge Field" button to insert the merge fields into your document.
9. Use the merge fields to create the personalized content for each recipient.
10. Click on the "Preview Results" button to see how the mail merge will look with the data inserted.
11. Click on the "Finish & Merge" button to create the final documents.

Some common mail merge fields in Word 2013 include:

• FirstName and LastName for the recipient's name
• Address1, Address2, and PostalCode for the recipient's address
• City and State for the recipient's city and state
• Country for the recipient's country
• Email for the recipient's email address

You can also use conditional formatting and logic to create more complex mail merge documents. For example, you could use an IF statement to include a specific message only if a certain condition is true.

Overall, mail merge is a powerful feature in Word 2013 that can help you create personalized documents quickly and efficiently.