# How to Use Mail Merge in Microsoft Word

Here's how to use mail merge in Microsoft Word to create personalized messages.

Mail merge is a powerful feature in Microsoft Word that lets you create a batch of personalized documents, such as letters, envelopes, or emails. Instead of manually creating each one, you can combine a main document (like an email template) with a data source (like a list of recipients) to produce many documents at once.

How to Use Mail Merge in Microsoft Word

Using mail merge involves several key steps, starting with preparing your data and setting up your main document in Word.

Step 1: Prepare Your Recipient List

Your recipient list is crucial. It should be organized, typically in a table format, with clear headings for each piece of information (like Name, Address, City, Email, etc.). A common and easy-to-use format is a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet.

• Ensure the first row contains column headers (e.g., "First Name", "Last Name", "Email Address").
• Make sure each column contains the same type of data for every recipient.
• Avoid blank rows or columns within your data block.

Step 2: Start the Mail Merge in Word

Open Microsoft Word to begin the process.

1. Go to the Mailings tab on the ribbon.
2. In the "Start Mail Merge" group, click Start Mail Merge.
3. From the dropdown menu, select the type of document you want to create. For sending personalized emails, select Email Messages.

Selecting "Email Messages" prepares your Word document window to function as the body of your outgoing emails.

Step 3: Select Your Recipients

Next, you need to tell Word which list of recipients to use.

1. Still on the Mailings tab, click Select Recipients.
2. Choose Use Existing List from the dropdown menu.
3. In the File Explorer (or your file manager) window that appears, locate the Excel spreadsheet that contains the information to be merged. Select your file and click Open.
4. If your Excel file has multiple sheets, you might be asked to select the correct sheet. Confirm your selection.

Word is now connected to your recipient list. The column headers from your list will become the available "merge fields" that you can insert into your document.

Step 4: Write Your Message or Document

Now, compose the content of your email or document. This is where you'll include the text that will be the same for every recipient.

• Type the main body of your message.
• Use standard formatting like bold, italics, lists, etc., as needed.

Step 5: Insert Merge Fields

This is where the personalization happens. You'll insert placeholders (merge fields) where you want information from your recipient list to appear.

1. Place your cursor in the document where you want to insert personalized information (e.g., after "Dear ").
2. On the Mailings tab, in the "Write & Insert Fields" group, click Insert Merge Field.
3. A list of field names (taken from your Excel column headers) will appear. Click the field you want to insert (e.g., "First Name").
4. The field will appear in your document, looking like «First Name».

Repeat this process for every piece of personalized information you want to include (e.g., «Email Address», «City»). You can mix regular text with merge fields:

• Example: Dear «First Name»,
• Example: Your order is shipping to «Address», «City», «Zip Code».

Step 6: Preview Your Results

Before sending or finalizing, it's crucial to preview the merged documents to ensure everything looks correct.

1. On the Mailings tab, in the "Preview Results" group, click Preview Results.
2. Word will replace the merge fields with actual data from the first recipient in your list.
3. Use the navigation arrows in the "Preview Results" group (or use the Find Recipient feature) to scroll through several records and check for any formatting issues or missing data.
4. If something looks wrong, click Preview Results again to turn off the preview and edit your document or check your recipient list.

Step 7: Complete the Merge

Once you are satisfied with the preview, you can finish the mail merge.

1. On the Mailings tab, in the "Finish" group, click Finish & Merge.
2. The options depend on the type of merge you selected:
   • Send Email Messages: For email merges, this option will open a dialog box where you can specify the subject line (often by inserting a merge field like «Subject» if you have one in your data, or typing static text), choose the format (HTML recommended for rich text), and select which records to send. Clicking OK will send the emails using your default email program (like Outlook).
   • Edit Individual Documents: This creates a new Word document containing all the merged letters or documents, allowing you to review and make minor edits to individual items before printing or saving.
   • Print Documents: This sends the merged documents directly to your printer.

Here's a quick overview of the main steps:

Step	Action	Location in Word
1. Preparation	Organize recipient data (e.g., Excel)	External
2. Start Merge	Open Word, select Mailings tab, Start Mail Merge, Choose Type (e.g., Email Messages)	Mailings Tab
3. Select Recipients	Select Mailings tab, Select Recipients, Use Existing List, Locate Data File (e.g., Excel)	Mailings Tab
4. Write Content	Compose your message or document body	Document Window
5. Insert Fields	Select Mailings tab, Insert Merge Field, Choose Field	Mailings Tab
6. Preview	Select Mailings tab, Preview Results, Review records	Mailings Tab
7. Finish	Select Mailings tab, Finish & Merge, Choose Output (Send Emails, Print, etc.)	Mailings Tab

Mail merge is a powerful tool for efficient communication, allowing you to easily send personalized content to many people at once.