MS-Word / General Formatting

Setting Up a Mail Merge by Using the Mail Merge Wizard

The Mail Merge wizard guides you through the process of merging a main document and a data source.

To set up mail merge for letters by using the Mail Merge wizard
  1. Create a document containing the text of the letter.
  2. On the Mailings tab, in the Start Mail Merge group, click the Start Mail Merge button, and then click Step by Step Mail Merge Wizard.
  3. In the Mail Merge task pane, with the Letters option selected, at the bottom of the pane, click Next: Starting document.
  4. With the Use the current document option selected, click Next: Select recipients.
  5. With the Using an existing list option selected, click Browse. Then in the Select Data Source dialog box, identify the data source, and click Open.
  6. If necessary, in the Select Table dialog box, click the table you want to use as your data source, and then click OK.
  7. In the Mail Merge Recipients dialog box, sort or filter the records as necessary, and then click OK.
  8. At the bottom of the Mail Merge task pane, click Next: Write your letter, and then insert the required merge fields in the main document, either by clicking items in the task pane or by clicking buttons in the Write & Insert Fields group on the Mailings tab.
Tip Clicking Address Block or Greeting Line opens a dialog box in which you can refine the fields' settings, whereas clicking individual fields from the Insert Merge Field list inserts them with their default settings.
To set up mail merge for email messages by using the Mail Merge wizard
  1. Create a document containing the text of the email message.
  2. On the Mailings tab, in the Start Mail Merge group, click the Start Mail Merge button, and then click Step by Step Mail Merge Wizard.
  3. In the Mail Merge task pane, click E-mail messages, and then click Next: Starting document.
  4. With the Use the current document option selected, click Next: Select recipients.
  5. Click Select from Outlook contacts, and then click Choose Contacts Folder. If the Choose Profile dialog box opens, select the Outlook profile from which you want to choose your recipients, and then click OK. Then in the Select Contacts dialog box, identify the data source, and click OK.
  6. In the Mail Merge Recipients dialog box, sort or filter the records as necessary, and then click OK.
  7. In the Mail Merge task pane, click Next: Write your e-mail message, and insert the necessary merge fields.
  8. Preview the merged email messages, and then click Next: Complete the merge.
  9. Click Electronic Mail, and in the Merge to E-mail dialog box, do the following:
    • Verify that Email Address is selected in the To box.
    • Enter a message subject in the Subject line box.
    • Select the message format you want in the Mail format box.
  10. With the All option selected in the Send records area, click OK.
To set up mail merge for envelopes by using the Mail Merge wizard
  1. Open a new blank document, and display paragraph marks.
  2. On the Mailings tab, in the Start Mail Merge group, click the Start Mail Merge button, and then click Step by Step Mail Merge Wizard.
  3. On the Select document type page of the Mail Merge task pane, click Envelopes, and then click Next: Starting document.
  4. With Change document layout selected on the Starting document page, click Envelope options.
  5. In the Envelope Options dialog box, do the following, and then click OK:
    • On the Envelope Options page, choose the envelope size, and specify the font and location for the delivery address and the return address.
    • On the Printing Options page, verify that the default printer shown is the one you want to use, specify the way you will insert the envelopes into the printer, and choose the feed location. (For envelopes, this is usually manual feed.)
  6. At the bottom of the Mail Merge task pane, click Next: Select recipients.
  7. On the Select recipients page, click the type of data source you will use. Then select or create the data source, and refine the recipient list as appropriate.
  8. At the bottom of the Mail Merge task pane, click Next: Arrange your envelope.
  9. In the document formatted by Word to match your selections, position the cursor at the upper-left paragraph mark, and then enter the return address as you want it to appear on all envelopes.
  10. Position the cursor at the centered paragraph mark. On the Arrange your envelope page of the Mail Merge task pane, click Address Block.
  11. In the Insert Address Block dialog box, specify the address elements you want to include, and preview the results. Then click OK.
To set up mail merge for labels by using the Mail Merge wizard
  1. Open a new blank document.
  2. On the Mailings tab, in the Start Mail Merge group, click the Start Mail Merge button, and then click Step by Step Mail Merge Wizard.
  3. On the Select document type page of the Mail Merge task pane, click Labels, and then click Next: Starting document.
  4. With Change document layout selected on the Starting document page, click Label options.
  5. In the Label Options dialog box, do the following, and then click OK:
    • In the Printer information area, click the type of printer you intend to use. If you choose Page printers, select the printer tray.
    • In the Label information area, click the label brand in the Label vendors list, and then click the product number in the Product number list.
      Or
      To set up the mail merge for custom labels, click New Label. In the Label Details dialog box, enter a name, margin dimensions, page size, and the number of labels across and down each sheet. Then click OK.
  6. At the bottom of the Mail Merge task pane, click Next: Select recipients.
  7. On the Select recipients page, click the type of data source you will use. Then select or create the data source, and refine the recipient list as appropriate.
  8. At the bottom of the Mail Merge task pane, click Next: Arrange your labels, and then ensure that you can see the left edge of the main document.
  9. With the cursor positioned in the first cell, click Address block on the Arrange your labels page.
  10. In the Insert Address Block dialog box, click OK to accept the default settings.
  11. In the Mail Merge task pane, click Update all labels.
To set up mail merge for a catalog or directory by using the Mail Merge wizard
  1. Open a new blank document, and display paragraph marks.
  2. On the Mailings tab, in the Start Mail Merge group, click the Start Mail Merge button, and then click Step by Step Mail Merge Wizard.
  3. In the Mail Merge task pane, click Directory, and then click Next: Starting document.
  4. In the Mail Merge task pane, with the Directory option selected, at the bottom of the pane, click Next: Starting document.
  5. With the Use the current document option selected, click Next: Select recipients.
  6. In the Mail Merge task pane, click the type of data source you will use. Then select or create the data source, and refine the recipient list as appropriate.
  7. At the bottom of the Mail Merge task pane, click Next: Arrange your directory, and insert the necessary merge fields.

Checking for Errors

You can validate that a main document and data source will merge successfully by using the Auto Check feature. When running an automatic check, you can simulate or complete the merge. You can display errors on screen as the merge occurs, or write errors to a separate document.

To validate a mail merge operation before merging source documents
  1. Prepare the main document and data source, and set up the mail merge for the type of output you want.
  2. On the Mailings tab, in the Preview Results group, click the Auto Check for Errors button.
  3. In the Checking and Reporting Errors dialog box, click Simulate the merge and report errors in a new document. Then click OK.
  4. For each error that the Auto Check feature reports, in the Invalid Merge Field dialog box, click Remove Field or choose the matching field from the Fields in data source list.
To validate a mail merge operation while merging source documents
  1. Prepare the main document and data source, and set up the mail merge for the type of output you want.
  2. On the Mailings tab, in the Preview Results group, click the Auto Check for Errors button.
  3. In the Checking and Reporting Errors dialog box, do one of the following, and then click OK:
    • Click Complete the merge, pausing to report each error as it occurs, and then click OK.
    • Click Complete the merge without pausing. Report errors in a new document, and then click OK.
  4. For each error that the Auto Check feature reports, in the Invalid Merge Field dialog box, click Remove Field or choose the matching field from the Fields in data source list.
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In this tutorial:

  1. Mail Merge Operations
  2. Set Up Mail Merge
  3. Merging Source Documents
  4. Setting Up a Mail Merge by Using the Mail Merge Wizard
  5. Execute Mail Merge
  6. Completing the Mail Merge Operation