How to Use Mail Merge in Word 2016

Edited 2 weeks ago by ExtremeHow Editorial Team

Microsoft OfficeWordDocumentsLabelsLettersAutomationWindowsMacTemplatesCustomizationProductivity

Mail merge is a useful feature in Word 2016 that allows you to create a batch of personalized documents for each recipient. For example, you can use mail merge to create letters, emails, labels, or envelopes that are addressed to different people but contain the same basic information. The main benefit is that it saves time and ensures consistency when sending mass communications to a list of people.

Understanding mail merge

Mail merge works by linking a standard document — which contains the same text for each recipient — with a data source that holds information unique to each recipient (such as names, addresses, and other personal details). During the merge process, Word combines the two to create a customized version of the document for each entry in the data source.

Components of mail merge

• Main document: This is your template document. It contains the main body text that is common to all your messages — like the main content of a letter.
• Data source: This contains all the variable data you want to include in the document, such as a list of names and addresses. This could be an Excel spreadsheet, a directory, an Access database, or even an Outlook contact list.
• Merge fields: These are placeholders that you insert into the main document. They act as markers for where variable data will go, such as <<first name>> or <<address>>.

A step-by-step guide to using mail merge

Step 1: Prepare your data source

Your first step in using mail merge is to prepare your data source, which in most cases should be an Excel spreadsheet, although it can be other things as well. Here's how you prepare your Excel sheet:

1. Open a new Excel workbook.
2. Create a new sheet and add all the required columns (e.g., First Name, Last Name, Address, City, Pin Code) to it.
3. Enter your data under each column.
4. Save your Excel file with a recognizable name.

It is important to make sure that your data is clean and accurate. Make sure that there are no extra spaces at the beginning or end of each cell, and each column should have a different header name, as these headers will be used in the merge fields.

Step 2: Setting up the main document

Next, you'll work on your main document. Open Word and start a new document. This will be the document template you'll use in your mail merge.

1. Type the standard text that you want to appear in every document. This is the part of the document that does not change.
2. Decide where you want to store personal information.

Step 3: Starting the mail merge wizard

Word 2016 includes a step-by-step mail merge wizard to help guide you through the process. Here's how you use it:

1. Go to the Mailings tab on the Word ribbon.
2. Click Start Mail Merge, and then select Step-by-Step Mail Merge Wizard.

The wizard will open in a panel on the right side of your screen and guide you through the mail merge process.

Step 4: Selecting the document type

The first option in the wizard is to select the type of document you want to create. You have several choices:

• Letters: Perfect for sending the same type of letter to multiple people.
• Email Message: Useful for sending emails via Outlook.
• Envelopes: Ideal for printing directly onto envelopes.
• Labels: Useful for creating address or other labels.
• Directory: Excellent for creating printed directories.

Select the document type, and then click Next at the bottom of the wizard panel.

Step 5: Selecting the starting document

You'll have the option to use an existing document (the one you're probably working on), start with a template provided by Word, or open an existing document. Select Use Existing Document and click Next.

Step 6: Selecting recipients

Now, you will choose a list of recipients. In the wizard:

1. Select Use existing list, and click Browse.
2. Select the previously saved Excel spreadsheet and click Open.
3. Word will ask you to select a table (if your spreadsheet has more than one sheet). Select the one that contains your data.
4. Verify your list in the Mail Merge Recipients dialog box. You can sort and filter recipients if necessary.

Click OK and then Next to continue.

Step 7: Inserting the merge fields

This step involves inserting the fields from your data source into your document:

1. Place your cursor where you want the first personalized field (for example, inside the greeting).
2. Go to the Mailings tab and click Insert Merge Field.
3. Select a field, such as First Name or Address, from the dropdown menu.

Word will replace it with the actual data from your Excel file when you merge. Repeat these steps for all the fields in your document that you want to personalize.

Step 8: Preview your letters

The wizard will allow you to preview your documents or emails. This is important to make sure everything looks correct:

1. Click Preview your letters in the wizard.
2. You can use the arrow buttons to navigate through the different previews of your document.

If you notice any errors, you can click Previous to go back to the previous step and make adjustments.

Step 9: Completing the merge

When everything is in order, the final step is to complete the merger and print your letters or send them by email.

1. Click Complete Merge in the wizard.
2. Select Print to print your newly merged documents directly.
3. Or, choose Electronic Mail if you're sending an email. Note that you must configure Outlook to send email this way.

Improve your mail merge

Although the mail merge itself is simple, there are a few features and settings you should be familiar with so you can improve your results:

• Filter and sort: You can adjust recipients by sorting or filtering your data directly within the mail merge wizard, tailoring mailings to specific groups.
• Rules: To further customize your documents, use the Rules feature under the Mailings tab in Word to insert additional logic, such as If...Then...Else statements.
• Edit individual documents: After completing the merge, you can choose to create a new document where each individual letter is edited separately.

Mistakes to avoid

There are some common problems when using mail merge that can be avoided with a little foresight:

1. Make sure your data source has all the required fields. Missing data will cause blank spaces to appear in the merged documents.
2. Double-check all your document fields to make sure they actually match the column headers in your data source. A mismatch could completely halt your process.
3. Always preview before finalizing the merge to catch any placeholder text or incorrect formatting.

Conclusion

Mail merge in Word 2016 is a powerful feature that simplifies and streamlines the process of communicating with multiple individuals using documents that follow the same template. It saves you time by automating the insertion of personal information into documents, and it ensures a level of personalization and professionalism. By following the steps above, you can create effective mail merges for a variety of purposes, from sending invitations to compiling comprehensive newsletters for different audiences. Remember to keep your data organized and test your merge to ensure accuracy and efficiency.

  Share This Article

If you find anything wrong with the article content, you can request an update