Using mail merge in Microsoft Word allows you to create personalized letters, labels, and emails for multiple recipients efficiently. Here are the step-by-step instructions to perform a mail merge: Use mail merge in Word to send bulk email messages

Step 1: Prepare Your Data Source (“Mailing List”)

1. Create a Data Source: The mailing list is your data source. For more information, see Data sources you can use for a mail merge. 

• Use Excel, Outlook Contacts, or other databases to create a list of recipients. Ensure your data includes headers like First Name, Last Name, Student Number, Address, Student or LG Email, etc.

• If you want to use your Outlook contacts as a list source, make sure Outlook is your default email program and is the same version as Word.

Step 2: Set Up the Main Document

1. Open Word:

• Open Microsoft Word and start a new document or use an existing one.

2. Go to Mailings > Start Mail Merge > E-mail Messages. 

3. Create your template or message

Step 3: Start the Mail Merge Wizard

1. Select Mail Merge Type:

• Click on “Start Mail Merge” in the Mailings tab.

• Choose the type of document you want to create (Letters, Email Messages, Envelopes, Labels, or Directory).

2. Use the Wizard (Optional):

• For a step-by-step guide, click on “Step-by-Step Mail Merge Wizard.” This will open a Mail Merge pane on the right.

Step 4: Link Your Mailing List to your Email Message

Make sure your data source has a column for email addresses and that there is an email address for every intended recipient. 

1. Go to Mailings:

• Click “Select Recipients” in the Mailings tab.

• Select an option: see Data sources you can use for a mail merge. 

• Use an Existing List: Browse and select your Excel file or other data source.

• Select from Outlook Contacts: Choose contacts from Outlook.

• Type a New List: Manually enter a new list.

2. Confirm Recipients:

• If using an existing list, Word will prompt you to select the worksheet (if using Excel) and confirm the recipient list.

• You can edit the recipient list by clicking “Edit Recipient List.” see Mail merge: Edit recipients 

Step 5: Insert Merge Fields. See Insert mail merge fields. 

1. Place Your Cursor:

• Click where you want to insert the merge field in your document.

2. Insert Fields:

• Click “Insert Merge Field” and select the field from your data source/mailing list (e.g., First Name, Last Name).

• Repeat this for all fields you need in your document.

3. Arrange Fields:

• Format and arrange the fields as required (e.g., address block, greeting line). 

Step 6: Preview the Mail Merge

1. Choose Preview Results, and then choose Next or Previous to see the names and addresses in the body of your letter.

Step 7: Complete the Mail Merge

1. Choose Finish & Merge > Send E-mail Messages.
   

2. In the To box, choose the email address column or field from your mailing list.
   Note:  Word sends an individual message to each email address. You cannot CC or BCC other recipients. You cannot add attachments, but you can include links,

3. In the Subject line box, type a subject line for the message.

4. In the Mail format box, choose HTML (the default setting) or choose Plain text to send the document as the body of the email message.

5. Under Send records, select one of the following:

• All records (default).

• Current record only the record viewable on your screen is sent the message.

• From and To send only a range of records.

6. Choose OK to run mail merge.

Step 8: Save and Print/Send

1. Save Your Document:

• Save the main document if you wish to use it again with a different data set.

2. Print or Send:

• If you chose to print, ensure your printer settings are correct and print the documents.

• If sending emails, ensure your email settings are configured correctly in Word.

By following these steps, you can efficiently create personalized documents for multiple recipients using the Mail Merge feature in Microsoft Word.

See also

• Use mail merge to create and send bulk mail, labels, and envelopes