Mail Merge Using Microsoft Word and Excel

(Microsoft Office 2013, 2016, 2019 and Office 365)

To merge information from a Microsoft Excel file into a Microsoft Word template follow the steps shown below. The Excel file will contain the list of information you will merge into the Word document.

Step 0

I would strongly suggest you create a folder to hold all of the files you will use for this process. It will make your merge life much easier!!

This is an example of the kind of information you might have in your Excel file. In this case it is a file we obtained from one of the “systems” in our business where we can export the needed information. Is is very common that you will get more information than you want, but that is not a problem. Just use the information you need and ignore the rest.

In this example we will use all of the columns except “Status” and “Starting Date.” Note that this Excel file contains three Worksheets (Sheet1…Sheet3) which you can see in the lower left corner. Only Sheet1 contains information we need.

Step 1a

Here is the Word template we want to use to create our merged documents.

One trick you might find helpful is to highlight those parts of the document you will have data merged into from the Excel file. That way you will not forget anything.

In this case I entered a temporary place holder with the information needed and highlighted each part in yellow.

Step 1b

Here is a closer look at the part of the letter where the merged data will go.

I indicated what goes where and then highlighted it in yellow to make it obvious.

Step 2

Select the Mailings tab. From the Select

Recipients button select Use an Existing List.

Step 3

You will need to browse to the folder where you saved the Excel file.

Click on the Excel file to select it.

Click on the Open button.

Step 4

You need to select the Worksheet where the information is located.

If your Excel file has column headings (it should), make sure that this checkbox is selected.

Click the OK button.

Step 5

Now you need to match up the merge items in the document with the corresponding columns in the Excel file.

Make sure you are on the Mailings tab.

Highlight the first item (in this case First Name).

Click on the bottom of Insert Merge Field button and select the appropriate Excel column by clicking on it (in this case First_Name).

You can see that the original information has been replaced with the corresponding information from the Excel file. You can tell this has happened because the column name appears and is surrounded by the chevron symbols (« & »).

Step 6

Repeat the process from Step 5 to get Last Name connected to the Excel file.

This is what it will look like when you have completed Step 6.

Step 7

Repeat these steps for Street Address.

The results of completing Step 7.

Step 8

Repeat for the rest of the items you want to merge the Excel data into.

Step 9

To preview your work: Click on the Preview

Results button. Using the Previous and

Next buttons you can move through the document and see that the merged information is changing as expected.

Here is the first merged letter.

This is the next merged letter (shown by clicking on the “Next” button).

This gives you the opportunity to make sure everything is working properly and all fields are merged into the correct location in the Word document.

Step 10

Now that everything is working you need to remove the yellow highlighting.

Highlight all of the yellow text (don’t worry about getting more than you need).

Select the Home tab. Click on the arrow next to

the Highlight button. From the drop-down

selection click on No Color.

This is what your template will look like with the highlighting turned off.

This is what it will look like if you turn Preview Results back on.

Step 11

If everything is working there is one last thing you need to do.

Make sure you are on the Mailings tab.

Click on the Finish & Merge button. You will see three choices. The first two are the more common choices.

Edit Individual Documents – will create a new, merged document that you can save or print.Print Documents – will immediately send everything to the printer.

I would recommend you select Edit Individual Documents because it will give you one last chance to look things over before printing.

Step 12

If you select Edit Individual Documents you will see this popup window. This gives you the opportunity to decide which or how many of the individual items/people you want to merge. Generally, All is the one you want.

Click on the OK button.

You will now have a new file created by merging the original template with the information from the Excel file.

This is the first page.

Scroll down and you will see the second page.

You can see that six, separate, merged letters have been created. This is because there were six people in the Excel file.

Be sure to save the new template in case you need it again. If this is a merged document you will use often it will save you a lot of time in the future because all you will have to do is provide an updated Excel file and the template. Since it already works all you will need to do is complete Step 11.

When you re-open the template will all of the merged items ready to do, you will see the popup window below. This window indicates that the Word file and a specific Excel file are linked together. Click on the Yes button and you will be back in your template with the new information already merged. No need to recreate Steps 1 – 10.

If the Excel file cannot be found in the original location, or the name of the file has changed, you will see this message. This indicates that the connection between the Word template and the Excel file has been broken.

If you see this message you need to “reconnect” the Excel file and the Word template.

Click on the OK button. You will see this window.

In the highlighted box you will need to provide the location of the Excel file. Once you do this click on the Test Connection button to see if everything is working again. If it is you will see this message.

Click the OK button on the test message. Click the OK button on the Data Link Properties window. Your document should now open with everything ready to go.

Hopefully you can see why it is important to put everything in a folder. The most important thing is to try not to move the Excel file. You can move the Word document (though I’d still advise against it) because it knows where to find the Excel file. Once the Excel file is moved or renamed you have broken the connection and you will have to re-establish it as described above.

To see a video version of these instructions, enter the web link below into the address bar of any web browser. You have to enter the link exactly as it is written (no www and no .com at the end):

bit.ly/2KWsvvT