Word Mail Merge from Excel
What is this trying to accomplish?
The goal is to set up a word document as a template and an excel file
as a table to perform a mail merge.
First for the example, the excel file is set up with the following columns;
FirstName, LastName, Address, City, State and Zip. I strongly recommend
only using alphanumeric characters for the column names with no spaces.
If a space is used an underscore will have to be used in the word template
in place of that space, this can make lining up the merge fields a bit
confusing. Also the mail merge function in word will not accept all
non-alphanumeric characters thus causing the mail merge to fail.
Next the Merge Fields are going to be inserted into the word template. In the
word doc go to the 'Insert' tab then over to the 'Quick Parts', click it and
then select the 'Field' Option.
A Field option box will open. Under the 'Field Names' list
select the 'MergeField' you will have a few field options and properties,
the most important one is the 'Field Name' as this is the property that
allows the merge to work. In the 'Field Name' box enter the name of the column
from the excel sheet that you want the data to merge where you are placing this
merge field. Make sure that the column and the merge field name match exactly.
Note: if you need to change the name of the merge field. Right click on the field
in the word doc then go to 'Edit Field' and change the field name in this options box.
You can change it on the outside in the word doc, but the change will not affect the actual
field name so i could cause the merge to fail if the column does not match the actual
field name.
Before the next close te excel file if it isn't alreadt, the excel file needs to be closed for the
mail merge to be initiated.
Next go to the 'Mailings' tab then select the 'Select Recipients' option then
'Use Exisiting List'. This will bring up an option to select a file. Select the excel file
created for the merge and then the sheet the merege is on.
Under the Mailings tab there is a preview results that you can use see what the
maile merge looks like wit the data in the word doc. You can then use the
Finish & Merge option to printe the documents or, you can also email them
if one of the merge fields is an email address.
if any code/method is not working please email: support@moonlapsetech.com