Mail merge letters in Micrsoft Word using Excel spreadsheet as data source

Posted on:  01/06/2017
Mail merge letters in Micrsoft Word using Excel spreadsheet as data source

To perform a mail merge with Microsoft Word, you need a data source or a mailing list. The mailing list can be an Excel spreadsheet, a directory of Outlook contacts, an Access database, or an Office address list. It contains the records Word pulls information from to build the addresses for the labels, letters, or envelopes. One of the easiest data sources to use is Microsoft Excel. If you were sending your customers a letter, the Excel file would include Company Name, First Name, Last Name, Address, etc. Make sure the 1st row in Microsoft Excel is your header row when doing a mail merge in Word.

To perform a Letter mail merge in Microsoft Word

  1. In Word, choose File > New > Blank Document.
  2. On the Mailings tab, in the Start Mail Merge group, choose Start Mail Merge > Letters.
  3. Choose Select Recipients then Use an Existing List. Locate your saved Excel file. Pick Open and pick the correct worksheet.
  4. Type the date and any other information you want at the top of the letter. Press Enter several times, and insert an Address Block to show the recipient’s name. If the Address Block does not show the correct information (names, address, city, state, and zip) you can use Match Fields from the Insert Address Block dialog box or you can click Insert Merge Field and putting in the address fields.
  5. In your document, continue inserting any fields you want in the merge.
  6. Preview the letters.
  7. Choose Finish & Merge > Edit Individual Documents, make sure All is selected and click OK. 

YouTube Video on Mail Merge Letters

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Chris Menard

Chris Menard is a Microsoft Trainer (MCT) and works as a full-time Trainer at BakerHostetler - one of the largest law firms in the US. Chris runs a YouTube channel with 900+ technology videos that cover various tools such as Excel, Word, Zoom, Teams, Gmail, Copilot, Google Calendar, and Outlook. To date, the channel has helped over 20 million viewers. Menard also does 2 to 3 public speaking events yearly, presenting at the Administrative Professional Conference (APC), the EA Ignite Conference, the University of Georgia, and CPA conferences. You can connect with him on LinkedIn at https://chrismenardtraining.com/linkedin or watch his videos on YouTube at https://chrismenardtraining.com/youtube.

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