Education

How to mail merge in Outlook

December 16, 2021
Admin
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Mail merging in Outlook involves combining a main document with a data source to create personalized email messages. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to perform a mail merge in Outlook:

Note: The exact steps may vary slightly depending on the version of Outlook you are using.

  1. Open Microsoft Word:
    • Launch Microsoft Word on your computer.
  2. Create a New Document:
    • Click on “File” in the top left corner.
    • Select “New” and then choose “Blank Document.”
  3. Go to the “Mailings” Tab:
    • Click on the “Mailings” tab at the top of the Word window.
  4. Select “Start Mail Merge” and Choose “Email Messages”:
    • Click on “Start Mail Merge” in the Mailings tab.
    • Choose “Email Messages” from the drop-down menu.
  5. Select Recipients:
    • Click on “Select Recipients” in the Mailings tab.
    • Choose “Use an Existing List” if you have an existing Excel spreadsheet or other data source with your recipient information.
    • Browse to and select your data source.
  6. Insert Merge Fields:
    • Click on “Insert Merge Field” in the Mailings tab.
    • Insert the fields you want to personalize in your email, such as <<First Name>>, <<Last Name>>, etc. These fields will be replaced with the corresponding data from your data source.
  7. Compose Your Email:
    • Write your email message in the Word document, incorporating the merge fields where necessary.
  8. Preview the Email:
    • Click on “Preview Results” in the Mailings tab to see how the email will look for each recipient.
  9. Finish & Merge:
    • Once you are satisfied, click on “Finish & Merge” in the Mailings tab.
    • Choose “Send Email Messages.”
    • In the “To:” box, select the field from your data source that contains the email addresses.
    • Choose your email subject line and select the email format.
    • Click “OK” to start the mail merge.
  10. Complete the Mail Merge:
    • Outlook will open with the merged emails in the Outbox.
    • Review the emails, and if everything looks correct, send them.

 

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Steps to Set Up Mail Merge in Outlook:

Note: These instructions assume you have a list of recipients in an Excel spreadsheet or another data source.

  1. Prepare Your Data Source:
    • Create a spreadsheet (Excel or another) with columns for each data field (e.g., Name, Email).
    • Save the document.
  2. Open Microsoft Word:
    • Open a new Word document.
  3. Select the “Mailings” Tab:
    • Go to the “Mailings” tab in the ribbon.
  4. Start Mail Merge:
    • Click on “Start Mail Merge” and select “Email Messages.”
  5. Select Recipients:
    • Click on “Select Recipients” and choose “Use an Existing List.”
    • Browse and select your data source file.
  6. Insert Merge Fields:
    • Place your cursor where you want to insert a merge field.
    • Click on “Insert Merge Field” to choose fields from your data source.
  7. Write Your Email:
    • Compose your email, using the merge fields where needed.
  8. Preview Your Email:
    • Click “Preview Results” to see how your emails will look.
  9. Complete the Mail Merge:
    • Click “Finish & Merge” and choose “Send Email Messages.”
    • Select your email field, set other options, and click “OK.”
  10. Choose Recipients:
    • Confirm the recipients (you can select all or specific ones).
  11. Complete the Merge:
    • Click “OK” to start the mail merge.
  12. Send Your Emails:
    • Review the merged emails in the Outlook Outbox.
    • Click “Send All.”