Mail merging in MS Word allows users to combine a standard document with recipient data from an external source like a spreadsheet or database to automatically generate personalized versions of the document for each recipient. The mail merge process involves 6 steps - selecting the document type, choosing recipients from an existing list or contacts, writing the document and inserting personalized fields, previewing the results, and finishing the merge to generate the final documents or emails. Mail merging is commonly used to create personalized letters, labels, emails or other documents for a list of recipients.

1. Mail Merge
in MS Word
@Manik

2. Mail merging
Mail Merging means to plug
data from an address table into
form letters, e-mail messages,
envelopes, address labels, or a
directory (a list or catalog, for
example). The list is combined
with standard text, usually to
produce a letter or invite to a
series of different recipients.
There are six steps to the mail
merge process:
1. Access Word Mail Merge
Command - To start a mail
merge, choose Tools | Letters
and Mailings | Mail Merge

3. Wizard to open the Mail Merge
task pane.
2. Choose your document
type - Within the mailings tab
click the start mail merge
button and a drop down will
appear. You can choose from
labels, envelopes, emails,
letters or a directory.
3. Select your recipients -
Here you can choose to "type a
new list" where you enter the
recipients into a database one
by one, "use an existing list"
such as a spreadsheet to import
the data or "select from your
Outlook contacts". You can then

4. edit the recipient data should
you wish.
4. Write & insert fields - Now
that your document is linked to
your recipient data you can add
the individual personalization
fields. This includes address
fields (use the "address block"
button) and greeting line (e.g.
dear Sir or Madam, recipient's
first name etc).
5. Preview results - Check
that the fields you've inserted
are pulling the correct data
through (e.g. the town field isn't
pulling through the county
information) and positioned
correctly on your document.

5. 6. Finish & merge - Now that
you're happy with your content,
and the correct data fields are
being imported, you can finish
and merge the document and
your data to create the final
product. There are three
options here:
⇒ Edit individual
documents - Creates a single
new document with separate
pages for each recipient.
⇒ Print documents
- This sends multiple letters
directly to your printer.
⇒ Send email messages
- This sends your document
as emails rather than hard

6. copies (you must have email
details in your data file to do
this).
Mail merge is often used to
produce a number of similar
documents, including elements
from a separate data document
e.g. a database, spreadsheet or
Outlook contacts file.