Unlocking the Power of Mail Merge: 4 Practical Applications You Might Not Have Considered

Mail merging in Microsoft Word is widely recognized for its ability to create and send personalized emails to many recipients simultaneously. However, this tool also offers several practical everyday applications that can simplify both your home and work life.

In essence, mail merge allows you to create a document in Microsoft Word and personalize it with specific details, like individuals' names. You can achieve this in two ways: by generating the list of personalized variables directly within Word's mail merge feature, or by creating the list in another program, such as Excel, and then importing the details into Word.

In this article, we will demonstrate how to use mail merge in Microsoft Word with Microsoft Excel. We’ll focus on this approach because creating and managing detailed lists and databases in Excel is generally more efficient.

Mail merge is not available in Word for the web. To use this feature, you'll need to subscribe to Microsoft 365 and use the Microsoft Word desktop app.

Creating Address Labels for Your Wedding Invitations and Christmas Cards

Sending wedding invitations or Christmas cards can be time-consuming and prone to errors, especially when writing addresses by hand. To streamline the process, use Microsoft Word. After creating your invitations, you can print the names and addresses directly onto label paper, or use regular paper and glue, then cut out and attach the labels to your envelopes.

Begin by creating your list of names and addresses in Excel. Place each part of a person’s name and address into separate columns, with headings in row 1. Make sure to fill in all cells completely, as leaving blanks can cause problems with your mail merge later on.

Next, press F12 to name and save your document in a location on your computer where you can easily find it.

Then, open a new blank Word document and go to Mailings > Start Mail Merge > Labels.

To save paper, scroll down to and select "30 Per Page," and click "OK."

Turning on the Show/Hide (?) option in the Home tab will help you see the layout and positioning of the labels you have just created.

The next step is to import the address list you created in Excel. With the Mailings tab still open, click Select Recipients > Use an Existing List.

In the Select Data Source window that appears, find and select the Excel file containing your names and addresses, then click "Open." In the Select Table dialog box, check the box to indicate that your Excel table includes headings, and then click "OK."

Word is now set to pull data from Excel.

Click "Insert Merge Field," and you’ll see the headings from your Excel file listed in the drop-down menu. Start by selecting the field you want to appear on the first line of the address label (e.g., "Name"), then press Enter. Repeat this process for each line of the address label, ensuring you press Enter between each field.

If the text extends beyond the space available on the labels, increase the label size by clicking and dragging the bottom of the label row downwards. Then, remove any labels that shift to the next page.

Once you have inserted all the merge fields, click "Update Labels." This action will apply the merge fields you added to every label in your document.

Now, click "Preview Results" to check you're happy with how your labels look.

To complete the process, click "Finish & Merge" and then select "Print Documents."

If you need to make changes to individual addresses, click "Finish & Merge" and select "Edit Individual Documents." This will open the labels in a new document, allowing you to modify specific entries without impacting the others.

Then, ensure "All" is selected, and click "OK" to print.

Finally, cut out your labels and affix them to your envelopes!

Writing Individualized Reports

Although we'll be using an example of teachers writing school reports, the same process can be applied to various roles and professions, including surveying, assessing, managing, and reviewing.

In a Word document, type the core content of the report, using "[NAME]" where a person's name should appear and "__" for any other individualized details that need to be added.

Then, copy each sentence into a cell across row 1 of an Excel sheet, making sure you add a "Name" column at the start.

Next, fill in the gaps under each column for every report you want to generate. Afterward, press F12 to name and save the spreadsheet in a location where you can easily find it.

Now, go back to your Word document. In the Mailings tab, click "Select Recipients" and then choose "Use an Existing List."

In the Select Data Source window that opens, find the Excel sheet with your report details and click "Open." Next, in the Select Table dialog box, check the box to indicate that your Excel table includes headings, and then click "OK."

Now, select the areas where you used [NAME] or inserted blanks in your Word document. Click "Insert Merge Field" and choose the relevant field from the drop-down menu to add it to the sentence.

After assigning all the fields from Excel, click "Preview Results" to view the first report. You can also use the arrows to navigate through all the reports if you wish.

Finally, click "Finish & Merge" to either review and edit the documents individually or print the reports you have generated.

Writing Job Application Cover Letters

It can be frustrating to repeat the same information in multiple cover letters for different job applications, especially when your skills are applicable to various roles. This is where mail merge becomes a valuable tool.

Across row 1 in a blank Excel worksheet, type the different skill categories you fall into.

In row 2, under each skill, write a few sentences that showcase your proficiency in that skill. These sentences will be included in your cover letter, so be sure to craft them with this purpose in mind.

Once you have completed detailing your skills, press F12 to name and save the workbook. You can always return to add or modify details in this sheet as needed.

Next, when you find a job you want to apply for, open a new Microsoft Word document and type the opening and closing sections of your cover letter. Then, in the Mailings tab, click "Select Recipients" and choose "Use an Existing List."

In the Select Data Source window that appears, find the Excel sheet with your skills and click "Open." Next, in the Select Table dialog box, check the box to indicate that your Excel table includes headings, and then click "OK."

Then, click "Insert Merge Field" and select the job skill you specified in your Excel spreadsheet.

You will then see a placeholder indicating where the text will appear once the mail merge is completed.

After adding all your skills, click "Preview Results" to review the structure and order of your paragraphs. If needed, you can select and rearrange the text to your liking.

You may need to adjust the wording slightly to ensure the letter flows coherently. While the mail merge technique outlined in this article provides the foundation for your cover letter, it's important to review it for smoothness. To make changes, click "Finish & Merge" and select "Edit Individual Documents." After clicking "OK," your finalized cover letter will open in a new document, where you can make any necessary edits and save it.

Designing Certificates

Whether you manage a local football team or a children's activity center, you might want to create certificates for your participants.

Start by creating a list in Excel that includes details such as the recipients' names, scores, standards, and any other personalized information you want to include. Once you have entered the details, press F12 to name and save the file.

Next, design your certificate in Microsoft Word. If you prefer, you can use a template by clicking File > New > More Templates.

Now, in the Mailings tab, click Select Recipients > Use An Existing List.

Find the recipients' details you created in Excel, click "Open," check the box for "First Row of Data Contains Column Headers," and then click "OK."

Then, click "Insert Merge Field" to add the fields from your Excel sheet into your Word document where needed.

Before finalizing your certificates, click "Preview Results" to ensure everything looks correct. Then, click "Finish & Merge" and select "Print Documents."

Now that you have some ideas for using mail merge in your daily tasks, explore our other lesser-known Microsoft Word tips.