How to Create a Mail Merge in Word

What a mail merge does and when to use it

A mail merge takes a list of names, addresses, or other information from a spreadsheet or database and automatically fills them into a template letter or email in Word. Instead of typing the same letter fifty times with different names, you create one template, connect it to your data, and Word generates a personalized version for each person on your list.

The most common use is sending personalized letters to many recipients at once — a landlord notifying tenants of a rent increase, a nonprofit sending donation receipts, or a business following up with clients. You can also merge into labels, envelopes, or email messages, though the process is the same for each.

Mail merge works only in Microsoft Word on Windows or Mac. If you use Google Docs, you will need a third-party add-on, and if you use a web-based email service, you may find it simpler to use that service's built-in mail merge feature instead.

Key Takeaways

Mail merge requires two files: a Word document with placeholder fields (your template) and a spreadsheet or database with the actual names and addresses (your data source).
Your data source must have column headers in the first row — "First Name", "Last Name", "Address" — so Word knows which information goes where.
You insert merge fields into your template by clicking Mailings > Insert Merge Field and selecting the column name from your data source.
Before you merge, preview the result for one or two records to catch mistakes in your template or data.
The final merge creates a new document with one copy of the letter for each row in your data source, ready to print or send.

Prepare your data source

Your data source is a spreadsheet containing the information you want to insert into your letters. This can be an Excel file, a CSV file exported from another program, or even a Word table. The most important rule is that the first row must contain column headers — the names of the fields you will use.

For example, if you are sending letters to tenants, your first row should read: First Name, Last Name, Address, City, State, Zip, Rent Amount. Each row below contains one person's information. Do not leave blank rows in the middle of your data, and do not include extra columns you will not use — Word will try to read them as merge fields and create confusion.

Save your data source before you open Word. If it is an Excel file, save it as .xlsx. If it is from another program, export it as CSV and open it in Excel, then save as .xlsx. Word can read Excel files directly from the Mailings menu, which is simpler than converting to CSV.

Create your template letter in Word

Open a new Word document and write the letter as you normally would. Include everything that stays the same for every recipient — your letterhead, the date, the greeting, the body text, and the closing. Leave blank spaces where personalized information should go. For example, instead of typing a specific name, type "Dear [Name goes here]" as a placeholder.

Format the letter the way you want it to look in the final version. Set margins, choose fonts, add a logo — all of this will carry through to the merged letters. Do not worry about the actual names and addresses yet; you will insert those using merge fields in the next step.

Save this template with a clear name like "Rent Increase Letter Template" so you can find it again. You do not need to save it in any special format; a regular .docx file works fine.

Connect your data source to your template

With your template open in Word, click the Mailings tab at the top of the screen. On the far left, click Start Mail Merge, then select Letters from the dropdown menu. This tells Word you are creating personalized letters.

Next, click Select Recipients and choose Use an Existing List. A file browser will open. Navigate to your Excel file and click Open. Word will ask you to confirm which sheet contains your data — if you have only one sheet, it will be selected already. Click OK.

Word has now connected your template to your data. You will not see the actual data yet, but the connection is live. If you make changes to your Excel file later, you can update the connection by clicking Edit Recipient List in the Mailings tab.

Insert merge fields into your template

This is where you tell Word which information from your data source goes where in the letter. Click in your template where the first name should appear — usually after "Dear " in the greeting. Then click Insert Merge Field in the Mailings tab and select First Name from the dropdown list.

Word will insert a field that looks like this: <<First Name>>. This is a placeholder. When you run the merge, Word will replace it with the actual first name from each row of your data. Repeat this for every piece of information you need: Last Name, Address, City, State, Zip, or any other column header from your spreadsheet.

Be careful with spacing and punctuation around merge fields. If your template reads "Dear <<First Name>> <<Last Name>>," Word will insert the name exactly as it appears in your data, including any extra spaces. If your data has "John" and "Smith" in separate columns, the result will be "Dear John Smith," which is correct. If your data has "John " with a trailing space, the result will be "Dear John Smith," with two spaces.

Preview and test your merge

Before you create the final merged document, preview how the letters will look with real data. In the Mailings tab, click Preview Results. The merge fields in your template will disappear and be replaced with actual data from your first record. Read through the letter carefully. Check that names, addresses, and any other personalized information are in the right places and formatted correctly.

Use the arrow buttons next to Preview Results to step through a few more records. Look for any records where the data is incomplete, misspelled, or in the wrong format. If you find a mistake in your data, click Edit Recipient List, make the correction in the spreadsheet that opens, and save it. Then click Preview Results again to see the change.

If you find a mistake in your template — a missing comma, a field in the wrong place, or text that should be different — click Preview Results again to turn off the preview, make your edit, and then turn the preview back on to check it.

Complete the merge and save the result

Once you are satisfied with the preview, click Finish & Merge in the Mailings tab. You have three options: Edit Individual Documents creates a new Word document with one letter for each record, all in a single file. Print Documents sends all letters directly to your printer. Send Email Messages creates individual emails if your data source includes an email column.

For most situations, choose Edit Individual Documents. Word will create a new document called "Letters1" containing all your merged letters, one after another. You can now review them, make any final changes, print them, or save them as a PDF. Each letter is a separate section in the document, so you can delete individual letters if needed before printing.

If you choose Print Documents, Word will print all letters when ready to your default printer. If you choose Send Email Messages, Word will open your default email client and create one message for each record, with the recipient's email address filled in automatically. You can review and send each one, or close them all without sending if you want to make changes first.

Frequently Asked Questions

What if my data is in Google Sheets instead of Excel?

read your Google Sheet as an Excel file (.xlsx) to your computer, then follow the steps above. Open Word, start the mail merge, and select the downloaded file as your data source. You cannot connect directly to a Google Sheet from Word, but the read-and-merge process takes only a minute.

Can I merge into an email instead of a letter?

Yes, but the process is different. Create your template as a regular Word document, set up the mail merge the same way, and insert merge fields as usual. Then click Finish & Merge and choose Send Email Messages. Your data source must include an email column with the header "Email Address" for this to work.

What happens if I have blank cells in my data?

Word will leave that field blank in the merged letter. If a tenant's middle name is missing, the letter will read "Dear John Smith" instead of "Dear John [Middle] Smith." To avoid awkward spacing, do not include merge fields for optional information unless you are certain every record has data for that field.

Can I edit the merged letters after they are created?

Yes. When you choose Edit Individual Documents, Word creates a new document with all the merged letters. You can edit any letter in that document, delete letters you do not need, or save it as a PDF. The original template and data source are not changed.

Do I have to merge all records, or can I merge only some?

You can merge a subset of records. Click Edit Recipient List in the Mailings tab and uncheck the records you do not want to include. Only the checked records will be merged. This is useful if you want to send letters to only certain tenants or only to people in a specific city.

This guide is for general information only and is not medical, financial, legal, or other professional advice. For decisions specific to your situation, consult a qualified professional. See our Editorial Policy.