How to do a mail merge using Microsoft Office 365

A no frills and to the point tutorial on how to perform a mail merge in Microsoft Office 365.

Step 1:
Prepare your data source

1. Open Microsoft Excel and create a spreadsheet with the data you want to use for the mail merge. Each column should represent a different type of information, such as names, addresses, or other personalized details.
2. Make sure to include a header row with labels for each column, as this will make it easier to map the fields during the mail merge process.
3. Save the Excel spreadsheet with your data in a location on your computer where you can easily access it later.

Step 2:
Create your main document

1. Open Microsoft Word and create a new document. This will be your main document, which contains the content that remains the same for each recipient.
2. Add any static text or images that you want to appear in every personalized document.
3. Insert merge fields to indicate where the personalized data from your Excel spreadsheet will be inserted. To insert a merge field, go to the "Mailings" tab, click on "Insert Merge Field," and select the field you want to insert from the drop-down list. Repeat this step for each field you want to include.
4. Format your main document as desired, adding styling, headers, footers, and other elements.

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Step 3:
Connect your data source

1. In the "Mailings" tab, click on "Select Recipients" and choose "Use an Existing List."
2. Navigate to the location where you saved your Excel spreadsheet and select it. The "Mail Merge Recipients" dialog box will appear, displaying the contents of your spreadsheet.
3. Ensure that the checkbox next to each recipient is selected or deselected as needed to include or exclude them from the mail merge. You can also use the "Filter" and "Sort" options to refine your recipient list.
4. Click "OK" to close the "Mail Merge Recipients" dialog box and return to your main document.

Step 4:
Customize your mail merge

1. Use the "Rules" section in the "Mailings" tab to refine your mail merge settings. Here, you can choose to sort, filter, or exclude specific recipients based on criteria.
2. Preview your merged documents by clicking on the "Preview Results" button in the "Mailings" tab. This allows you to cycle through the recipients and see how the personalized data will appear in each document.
3. If necessary, make any adjustments to your main document to accommodate the merged data, such as resizing text boxes or rearranging elements.

Step 5:
Complete the mail merge

1. Once you are satisfied with the previewed results, click on the "Finish & Merge" button in the "Mailings" tab.
2. Choose the desired output option from the drop-down list. For example, you can select "Print Documents" to print the merged documents, or "Email Messages" to send them via email.
3. Follow the prompts to complete the merge process based on your chosen output option. For example, if you select "Email Messages," you will be prompted to configure your email settings and compose the email message.
4. Review the final merged documents or emails to ensure that everything looks as expected.

Congratulations!
You have successfully completed a mail merge in Microsoft Office 365.

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