How to Use the Microsoft Word Mail Merge Feature

If you need to send a letter, print a batch of shipping labels, or email a newsletter to 500 different people, you should not manually type out each individual name and address. This is incredibly time-consuming and prone to typos.

Instead, you should use the Mail Merge feature in Microsoft Word. Mail Merge automatically pulls a list of names and addresses from a database (like an Excel spreadsheet) and inserts them into a single Word document template, instantly generating hundreds of personalised documents.

Step 1: Prepare Your Data

Before touching Microsoft Word, you must ensure your contact list is properly formatted.

The easiest way to do this is using Microsoft Excel. Create a spreadsheet where the first row contains clear column headers (e.g., “First Name”, “Last Name”, “Address”, “City”, “Postcode”). Fill in your contact information in the rows below, ensuring there are no completely blank rows in the middle of your data. Save this Excel file and close it.

Step 2: Start the Mail Merge in Word

1. Open Microsoft Word and create a new, blank document.
2. Click the Mailings tab in the top ribbon menu.
3. Click the Start Mail Merge button.
4. From the dropdown menu, select the type of document you are creating (e.g., Letters, Email Messages, or Labels). For this example, choose Letters.

Step 3: Connect Your Data Source

Now, you must link your Word document to the Excel spreadsheet you created earlier.

1. On the Mailings tab, click Select Recipients.
2. Choose Use an Existing List from the menu.
3. A file browser window will appear. Navigate to where you saved your Excel spreadsheet, select it, and click Open.
4. If your Excel file has multiple sheets, Word will ask you to select the specific sheet containing your data. Click OK.

Step 4: Insert Merge Fields

This is where the automation happens. You will now write your letter template and tell Word exactly where to insert the personal data.

1. Begin typing your letter. When you reach a place where you want to insert a personal detail (for example, after typing “Dear “), stop.
2. On the Mailings tab, click Insert Merge Field.
3. A dropdown menu will appear listing the column headers from your Excel spreadsheet (e.g., “First Name”). Click the field you want to insert.
4. Word will insert a placeholder code wrapped in angled brackets, like this: <<First Name>>.
5. Continue typing your letter, inserting merge fields wherever necessary (e.g., placing the address fields at the top of the letter).

Note: Remember to manually type spaces and punctuation between your merge fields. Word will not automatically insert a space between <<First Name>> and <<Last Name>>.

Step 5: Preview and Finish

Before printing or emailing 500 documents, you should verify that everything looks correct.

1. On the Mailings tab, click the Preview Results button.
2. Word will instantly replace the placeholder codes with the actual data from the first row of your Excel spreadsheet. You can use the blue left and right arrow buttons next to “Preview Results” to click through your contacts and ensure the formatting holds up for long names or addresses.
3. Once you are satisfied, click Finish & Merge.
4. Select how you want to output the documents:
   • Edit Individual Documents: This creates a massive new Word document containing every single letter, allowing you to manually tweak specific ones before printing.
   • Print Documents: This sends the merged letters directly to your printer.
   • Send Email Messages: If you use Microsoft Outlook, this will automatically email the merged documents as the body of an email to the addresses in your spreadsheet.