So we will delete and modify some of the field names click the Customize Columns button to do so. This might not be ideal since we might not want some of these areas, which might confuse us. Ī form with pre-populated fields will be presented. For this article, I will create my data source from scratch by selecting, Type a new list and then click Create. You can use multiple sources for your recipient list, including a Microsoft Access Database or Excel Spreadsheet. If I already had a letter prepared, I could modify the field names as the basis for the data source. The Mail Merge wizard gives you the choice of using an existing document. Select Use the current document and then continue to the next step to select recipients. When the Mail Merge wizard comes up, choose the Letters radio box and then click Next: Starting document.

The sample letter below contains five fields I will need to include in each document.Ĭreate a new blank document in Microsoft Word and select the Mailings tab > Start Mail Merge > Step-by-Step Mail Merge Wizard. Another important part of creating a mail merge document is the Form, which contains information delivered to the recipient. The first step is to have all the unique information for each recipient called a Field Name, such as the name, address, and salutation. Once you have gathered the information for the data source, Word will handle combining the documents for each guest.

There are two components to a mail merge letter the main document and the data source, such as the names and addresses of the individuals invited to the event. Using the Mail Merge Feature in Microsoft Wordįor this example, I will create a document inviting friends to an event. Note: This was written using Word 2016 but the instructions should be similar on modern versions of Word in Microsoft 365 (formerly O365).

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