Merge letter templates in word

Today, mail takes on a whole new level as technology grows. From dozens to hundreds, we are now able to send up to thousands of letters all over the globe for corporate or marketing use. One such technology is mail merge, which makes mass mailing so much easier using pre-addressed and personalized letters.

If you are looking for a mail merge letter that is more convenient, then you can use this Sample Mail Merge Letter for Word. This Word template is free and can be used for all kinds of letters for your company or organization.

Versatile and Professional Design

This Sample Mail Merge Letter for Word is versatile and designed to be used along with different kinds of letterheads so you can easily incorporate it into your company letterhead. It can also go well with your email to create professional mass mail for all your recipients.

The mail merge letter template features great formatting that suits your company, whatever industry you may belong in. You can also easily insert your logo and change the style and color scheme to match your brand identity.

Create Letters in a Flash

The letter itself contains placeholders where you can add your own information. There are already pre-formatted letter parts such as inside address, salutation, and greeting. The body of the letter, meanwhile, contains guides and tips to help you compose your own letters concisely, as well as to organize your ideas to make you express your thoughts and ideas most effectively.

To change the overall appearance of the letter, the template also provides tips. Just go to the Theme menu on the Design tab on the Ribbon. You can also go to the Quick Styles to choose font styles and combinations that you prefer, or you can also create a style to make your letter fully customized.

The best part is, this template can be uploaded to your OneDrive account so you can easily access it and create mass mail and mail merge letters to anyone, anywhere you are. This also allows you to conveniently work with a team and have them all take a look at the mail merge letter together, for easy collaboration.

Go to Download Sample Mail Merge Letter for Word

Perform a Mail Merge in Microsoft Word to Generate Form Letters for Bulk Mailings

by Avantix Learning Team | Updated January 10, 2021

Applies to: Microsoft^® Word^® 2013, 2016, 2019 and 365 (Windows)

You can use mail merge in Microsoft Word to create form letters, labels, envelopes and even a catalog or directory. In this article, we’ll review the process for creating form letters for multiple contacts or clients. You’ll need to create a main document or letter in Microsoft Word and then connect to a data set of names and addresses in a Word document, Excel worksheet, delimited file or database like Microsoft Access. When you run the mail merge, you have the option of creating a new merged file (which would include a letter for each contact) or merge directly to a printer.

Recommended article: How to Create Labels in Word Using Mail Merge and Excel Source Data

Do you want to learn more about Word? Check out our virtual classroom or live classroom Word courses >

Understanding the mail merge process for form letters

There are 7 steps in the mail merge process to create form letters in Word:

1. Start the merge and specify the main document for the letter.
2. Select the source file containing the data set with names and addresses. Microsoft refers to a data set or database as a list. It’s best to create this file before you begin the mail merge process.
3. Insert fields into the letter and any other required content (such as the body of the letter and signature).
4. Format the letter.
5. Select specific recipients or filter the recipient list (optional).
6. Preview the merged letter (optional).
7. Run the mail merge.

During the mail merge process, fields are inserted into the main document and appear in carets (such as <<FirstName>>). By default, when you click in a field, it is displayed with grey shading. When you run the merge, the fields are replaced by data from the source file.

In this article, we’ll be using the Mailings tab in the Ribbon to set up and run a mail merge (not the Mail Merge Wizard):

Step 1: Start the merge and specify the main document

The first step in the mail merge process is to start the merge using Start Mail Merge on the Mailings tab in the Word Ribbon:

To start the merge and specify the main document as a form letter:

1. Create a new blank document or open a Word document containing a sample letter.
2. Click the Mailings tab in the Ribbon and then click Start Mail Merge in the Start Mail Merge group.
3. From the drop-down menu, select the type of document you want to create. In this case, select Letters. By default, Word uses the current document. At this point, you may want to insert other components such as a date, the body of the letter and a signature.

Step 2: Select the source file containing the data set

The next step is to connect to a source file containing a list of names and addresses using Select Recipients. The source file can be a Microsoft Word document containing a table or delimited data, Excel worksheet or even a table or query in a database such as Microsoft Access. For Word tables and Excel spreadsheets, the first row in the table or worksheet must contain field names such as FirstName, LastName, Company, Address and so on. In a Word source file, there cannot be any paragraphs above the table or data. You can also use a comma or tab delimited file as long as the first line in the document contains field names. In delimited files, the field names and data are separated by a delimiter such as a comma or tab.

Select Recipients appears on the Mailings tab in the Ribbon:

In the following example, note that the field names are in the first row of a Word table which will be used as a source:

In the following Excel example, note that the field names are in the first row of the worksheet which will be used as a source:

To select a Microsoft Word source file containing a table with names and addresses:

1. In the main Word document, click the Mailings tab in the Ribbon and then click Select Recipients in the Start Mail Merge group. A dialog box appears.
2. Click Use an Existing List from the drop-down menu. A dialog box appears.
3. Navigate to the Word file containing the names and addresses you want to use.
4. Double-click the file.

To select a Microsoft Excel source file containing a worksheet with names and addresses:

1. In the main Word document, click the Mailings tab in the Ribbon and then click Select Recipients in the Start Mail Merge group. A dialog box appears.
2. Click Use an Existing List from the drop-down menu. A dialog box appears.
3. Navigate to the Excel file containing the names and addresses you want to use.
4. Double-click the file. A dialog box appears.
5. Ensure First row of data contains column headers is checked.
6. Click the Excel worksheet containing the data you wish to use.
7. Click OK.

The following dialog box appears when you select an Excel file as the source for a merge:

Step 3: Insert fields from the source file

Once you have connected to a source file, you can insert fields into the main document or letter. You have the option of using special Word fields such as Address Block and Greeting Line (for example, to insert Dear John) or inserting individual fields.

Address Block and Greeting Line appear as follows in the Ribbon:

To insert the Address Block field:

1. Click in the main document where you want to insert an address block.
2. Click the Mailings tab in the Ribbon and then click Address Block in the Write & Insert Fields group. A dialog box appears. Word will display an address based on the source data.
3. In the samples on the left, select the address sample you prefer.
4. Check or uncheck other options if necessary.
5. Click OK. Word inserts an Address Block field into the main document.

For Address Block, select a sample address in the area on the left in the Insert Address Block dialog box:

To insert a Greeting Line field:

1. Click in the main document where you want to insert a greeting.
2. Click the Mailings tab in the Ribbon and then click Greeting Line in the Write & Fields group. A dialog box appears. Word will display a greeting based on the source data.
3. Select greeting line options for the Greeting line format.
4. Select an option for invalid recipient names.
5. Click OK. Word inserts a Greeting Line field into the main document.

For Greeting Line, select greeting line options in the Insert Greeting Line dialog box:

To insert fields individually:

1. Click in the main document where you want to insert a field (such as FirstName).
2. Click the Mailings tab in the Ribbon and then select Insert Merge Field in the Write & Insert Fields group.
3. From the drop-down menu, select the field you want to insert.
4. Press the spacebar, type text or press Enter if necessary.
5. Repeat for other fields you want to insert.

Step 4: Format the letter

You may need to apply formatting to the letter such as changing the font and size and adjusting paragraph spacing.

It’s common for an Address Block field or address lines to have extra paragraph spacing above and / or below lines in the address when the results are previewed or printed. This is caused by default settings for space above and below paragraphs.

To remove the paragraph spacing:

1. Select the Address Block field or other lines (often in the address if you have inserted individual fields).
2. Click the Home tab in the Ribbon and select the dialog box launcher on the bottom right of the Paragraph group.
3. Select Don’t add space between paragraphs of the same style. Alternatively, change the space above and below the paragraph(s).
4. Click OK.

Step 5: Select specific recipients or filter the recipient list (optional)

You have the option of specifying specific recipients or filtering the recipient list if you don’t want to create form letters for all contacts in the data source.

To choose specific contacts:

1. Click the Mailings tab in the Ribbon and then click Edit Recipient List in the Start Mail Merge group. A dialog box appears.
2. Uncheck the check boxes beside the recipients you do not want to include in the mail merge.
3. Click OK.

To filter the source list:

1. Click the Mailings tab in the Ribbon and then click Edit Recipient List in the Start Mail Merge group. A dialog box appears.
2. Click Filter. A dialog box appears.
3. Select / enter the desired filtering options.
4. Click OK.

For example, below is a filter to display records from Toronto:

To remove the filter, repeat the process, but click Clear All in the Filter and Sort dialog box.

Step 6: Preview the results (optional)

Before you run the mail merge, you can preview the results:

1. In the main document, click the Mailings tab in the Ribbon and then click Preview Results in the Preview Results group.
2. Click the arrows in the Preview Results group to go to the next or previous letter.
3. Click Preview Results to view the fields again.

Step 7: Run the mail merge for letters

The final step is to run the merge. You can either create a new merged document or merge directly to a printer.

To run the letter mail merge in the main document and create a new merged document:

1. Click the Mailings tab in the Ribbon and then click Finish & Merge in the Finish group. A drop-down menu appears.
2. Click Edit Individual Documents. A dialog box appears.
3. Click Current Record or enter a selected range if necessary.
4. Click OK. Word creates a new merged document that you can edit, print and save. Each letter will appear on a new page in a new section.

The following dialog box appears when you select Edit individual documents.

To run the letter mail merge in the main document and print the merged documents:

1. Click the Mailings tab in the Ribbon and click Finish & Merge in the Finish group. A drop-down menu appears.
2. Select Print Documents. A dialog box appears.
3. Click Current Record or enter a selected range if necessary.
4. Click OK. A dialog box appears.
5. Select the desired printer and other printer options.
6. Click OK.

The following dialog box appears when you select Print Documents:

You will typically want to save the main document and the source file. If you save the merged file, you will have a record of the letters that were created.

The process is similar for labels. The main document would be labels (usually a label type with a product code) and would connect to the source document in the same way.

This article was first published on December 9, 2019 and has been updated for clarity and content.

Subscribe to get more articles like this one

Did you find this article helpful? If you would like to receive new articles, join our email list.

More resources

How to Insert a DRAFT Watermark in Word and Remove It (Add Text or Picture Watermarks)

How to Remove Hard Returns in Word Documents

How to Superscipt or Subscript in Word (with Shortcuts)

Related courses

Microsoft Word: Intermediate / Advanced

Microsoft Word: Designing Dynamic Word Documents Using Fields

Microsoft Word: Long Documents Master Class

Microsoft Word: Accessible Word Documents

Microsoft PowerPoint: Intermediate / Advanced

VIEW MORE COURSES >

Our instructor-led courses are delivered in virtual classroom format or at our downtown Toronto location at 18 King Street East, Suite 1400, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (some in-person classroom courses may also be delivered at an alternate downtown Toronto location). Contact us at info@avantixlearning.ca if you’d like to arrange custom instructor-led virtual classroom or onsite training on a date that’s convenient for you.

Copyright 2023 Avantix^® Learning

Microsoft, the Microsoft logo, Microsoft Office and related Microsoft applications and logos are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in Canada, US and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of the registered owners.

Avantix Learning |18 King Street East, Suite 1400, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5C 1C4 | Contact us at info@avantixlearning.ca

Do you find yourself sending out the same letter to a large group of people? You might be able to send your message more efficiently by using Microsoft Word’s mail merge feature. In this mail merge tutorial, I’ll show you how to use Microsoft Excel with Microsoft Word to create personalized letters. (Updated for Microsoft 365).

What is Mail Merge

If you’re not familiar with the term “mail merge,” it refers to a way of combining data from one or more sources to create new items. For example, you could combine elements from a contact list with a letter template to make personalized letters. And, you can use the same merge steps to create printable gift certificates. Likewise, you can use a similar process to make custom address labels.

Understanding the Mail Merge Process

It helps me to think of the mail merge process in terms of three files.

1. Mail merge letter with codes for the personalized fields. You might think of this as your letter template.
2. A data source file with a row of information for each recipient. I’m using Excel.
3. Your final Word letter file with the personalized letters.

The mail merge process uses your letter template + data source file = individual Word Letters.

The first step is to decide what to personalize. This requires knowing the content of your letter and your recipients. Using politicians as our example, they can get a .CSV file or .XLSX data extract with voter information from their election office. This file contains fields for:

• First Name
• Last Name
• Address 1
• Address 2
• City
• State
• Zipcode

You may add other fields to meet your needs. For example, you might add a field called “Event.” This could show an event time to meet the candidate.

Review & Fix Data Records

Before creating your letter, you should check your data source file. I don’t think I’ve seen a data source file that didn’t need correction. This is especially true if you didn’t input the data. Some common problems I look for are:

• Capitalization errors such as all CAPS
• Missing field data
• Invalid email addresses
• Initials as a first name
• Missing apostrophes in last names (Oneill)
• Misspellings

The top item can be fixed using the Excel Proper function. You don’t need to worry about deleting columns you won’t use in the letter.

You may need to worry about the First name field if you want to convey that you know someone. For example, your data source may have a formal name such as “Robert,” but you know the person as “Rob.” Salutations can also be an issue if you’re not familiar with first names. For example, I can attest to knowing female “Michael”s and male “Merideth”s.

Before saving your Excel file, make sure you have a header row with descriptive column names. This makes it easier to match and merge fields.

Allowable Data Source File Types

In this tutorial, I’ve used Microsoft Excel as my data source. Typically, if people have Microsoft Word, they also have Excel. However, you don’t have to use an Excel file. For example, the mail merge wizard accepts different file types:

• Office Database Connections (*.odc)
• Access Database (*.mdb, *mde. *accdb, *accde)
• Microsoft Office Address List (*.mdb)
• Microsoft Office List shortcuts (*.ols)
• Microsoft Data links (*.udl)
• ODBC File DSNs (*.dsn)
• Excel files (*.xlsx, *xlsm, *.xlsb, *.xls)
• Web pages (*.htm, *.html, *asp, *.mht, *.mhtml)
• Rich Text Format (*.rtf)
• Word Documents (*.docs, *.doc, *.docm)
• Text Files (*.txt, *prn, *.csv, *.tab, *.asc)
• Database Queries (*.dqy, *.rqy)
• Open Document Text Files (*.odt)

The advantage of using Microsoft Excel is that it’s easy for Word to parse the data, especially if you include column headers. When you use some of these other formats, you may have to define encodings, data fields, or field delimiters. In some cases, Word has no problems, such as with this CSV file.

With other formats, you may encounter difficulty. For example, if I try to use a Microsoft Word document as my data source file, the parsing is more complex.

Link the Excel Data Source File

As with many tasks, Microsoft created a helpful wizard. Before starting, make sure you have created your recipient list with the fields you need.

1. Open Word with a blank document or your Word letterhead.
2. From the Mailings tab, select Start Mail Merge
3. From the Start Mail Merge menu, select Step by Step Mail Merge Wizard. The Mail Merge task pane will appear on the right side of your screen.

1. Click the Next: Starting document link at the bottom of this panel. The Wizard advances you to Step 2.
2. Keep the default option for Use the current document.
3. Click the Next: Select recipients link at the bottom.
4. Click the Browse … link in the middle of the panel. This opens the Select Data Source dialog.

1. Navigate to your Excel file and click Open. This opens the Select Table dialog. If you named your Excel worksheet, the name would show. Otherwise, it will appear as Sheet1$.

1. Check the box at the bottom for the First row of data has column headers.
2. Click OK. Below the Browse… link you should see an active link for Edit recipient list.. .on the Mail Merge task pane.

1. A dialog will appear on your document with your recipients. You can uncheck items you don’t wish to import from the 2nd column. It’s the one which is not labeled. You can also refine the list order and remove duplicate records.

1. Click OK again.
2. The Mail Merge Recipients dialog disappears. You will still see Step 3 of 6 in the Mail Merge Wizard.

Add Address Merge Codes

The Mail Merge wizard should be on Step 4 of 6. Now that we’ve assigned the data source, we can insert the merge fields in our letter. The first code most people start with is the address. While you can insert merge codes for each address element, Word allows you to enter all the fields with an Address block.

1. On the Mail Merge task pane, click Next : Write your letter. This will advance you to Step 4. The merge wizard will show links to various letter components.

1. You should now write your letter.
2. Click Address block… to add the recipient’s address.

1. Check the options that best suit your addresses.
2. Use the controls under the Preview section to spot check some records.
3. Fix any address fields that you’ll use which show as (not matched) by selecting the proper field using the arrow control.
4. Click OK.

On your Word document, you should see «AddressBlock». This code represents the address fields you selected. And no, you can’t wrap chevrons around your field names. You won’t see any real data until you merge the information.

Add Other Merge Codes

While adding address information is useful, you probably want some custom fields. These fields should have been defined on the Excel spreadsheet you linked. For example, you might tell people about an upcoming event. The process of inserting more fields is similar to the address block.

1. From the Mail Merge task pane, go to Step 4 of 6.
2. Add your letter text up to the point where you want to insert the field.
3. Click More Items… from the task pane. The Insert Merge Field dialog appears.

1. Highlight your field such as “event.”
2. Click Insert.

Your merge field should show next to your cursor. As before, the chevrons « » are wrapped on either end.

Pulling it All Together

Once you’ve created your letter and added your merge codes, you’re ready to pull real data. If you glance at your Mail Merge task pane, you should be on Step 4 of 6. To see your letters with merged data, click Next: Preview your letters. Each merge code should show data from your Excel data source file. You should not see any chevron merge codes.

While you may be tempted to print your letters, I would check several examples. In particular, look for addresses that need an extra line, such as suites or apartments. This is also a good time to look for seeded records to make sure the correct fields are imported. This can be done using the Find a recipient link on the panel. You can move through your letters by using the directional controls at the top of the task pane. If you don’t like a record, you can exclude it from the set.

If you’re using a window envelope or letterhead, you should print a sample letter to ensure the alignment. If it isn’t, click the Previous link to go back to Step 4 of 6 and make adjustments.

Print and Save the Letters

The final part of the wizard lets you print your letters. This is done by clicking Next: Complete the merge, which advances you to Step 6. At this stage, you can either print your letters or edit individual ones.

If the document you created is one that you plan to reuse, you should save it. When you save this document, you’ll see one letter with prefilled values. You won’t see the chevrons and field names. What’s nice about saving this letter is maintaining the relationship with your data file and merge codes. The next time you open the file, it will read your data file and populate the merge codes. Then, if you want to send it to a different set of people, you can edit your Excel file or link it to a new one.

When you’re looking to contact a large number of people, it can be time-consuming and expensive to create personalized letters for each person. To make the process less arduous, remember to use the mail merge functions in Microsoft Word with Excel. Mail merging allows you to use an Excel spreadsheet as your data source to produce individualized letters by inserting names into pre-written text templates customized for your recipients based on their information from the spreadsheet.

• Learn VLOOKUP with Examples
• How to Transpose Columns & Rows in Excel
• How to Create Excel Floating Headers

This Mail Merge in Word tutorial is suitable for users of Word 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Word for Microsoft 365.  

Objective 

Perform a Mail Merge in Word to generate letters and labels in bulk using contacts stored in an Excel spreadsheet. 

Mail Merge Explained 

Do you need to generate lots of letters, envelopes, labels, or even emails? Let the Mail Merge feature in Word do the hard work for you.   

Mail Merge is a utility in Word that’s been around for a long time. It allows you to create letters, envelopes, and labels in bulk and customize each one for individual recipients. Use a list of contact names and addresses stored in an Excel spreadsheet, or type them in manually during the merge process.  

Mail Merge is a 5-step process: 

Method 

In this example, I am going to go through the process of creating letters in bulk using Word’s Mail Merge facility. These contacts are stored in an Excel spreadsheet.  

Set-up the Excel data file 

Before starting the mail merge, ensure that the Excel data file is set-up correctly.  

• Data should be separated into different columns and have column headings. The columns must correspond to the merge fields to be used. For example, if you want to be able to address a recipient by their first name in the document, you’ll need to have separate columns for first and last name.  
• Try and keep the data to be used in the merge on the first worksheet in the Excel workbook.  
• The Excel spreadsheet should be stored on your local machine.  
• Ensure the data is free from duplicates, blank rows, spelling errors, and addresses, postcodes, etc. are formatted correctly.  

Set-up the main document 

The main document is the document you are merging into, in this case, a letter.  

1. Open a blank Word document or a letter template. 

1. Type the letter you want to send to multiple recipients. 

1. Click the Mailings tab. 

1. Click Start Mail Merge. 

1. Select Letters. 

Select the recipients 

Word needs to know which recipients list you want to use and where it is stored. You can choose to type your list of recipients manually, use an existing list, or select from Outlook contacts. In this example, I have my contacts stored on Sheet 1 of the ‘Contact List.xlsx’ spreadsheet.  

1. Click Select Recipients 

1. Select Use an existing list 

1. Browse to the location where you contact list is stored and click Open 

The Select Table window will open and show all the worksheets contained in the Excel spreadsheet. Ensure that you select the worksheet your contacts are stored in. (motivationandlove) If your column headings are in row 1 of the worksheet, ensure you have the ‘First row of data contains column headers’ checkbox ticked.  

1. Click OK 

Edit the recipient’s list 

At this point, you can review your recipient’s list and make changes.  

1. Click Edit Recipient List 

Your contacts will be listed. If you do not want to include them all in the mail merge, remove the tick next to their name. The refine recipients list area contains options to help you sort and organize your contact list. Sort contacts alphabetically, filter out contacts, find duplicate entries or specific recipients.  

1. Click OK 

Insert the merge fields 

It’s now time to insert the merge fields into the letter. Merge fields are essentially the column headings from your source data file; in this case, the Excel spreadsheet. They are used to personalize each letter to the individual.  

In this example, I am going to add an address block to the top of the letter, a greeting line and an individual merge field in the body of the letter. Ensure that your mouse is clicked at the top of the letter.  

1. Click Address Block on the Mailings tab 

Choose how you want the recipient’s name to be formatted. You can see what each option looks like in the preview pane on the right. Use the arrows to scroll through your contacts.  

If your contact list contains company names, ensure this option is ticked.  

1. Click OK 

The first contact will display at the top of the letter. Preview how each contact looks by using the scroll arrows in the Preview Results group.  

Next, I am going to add a Greeting Line. Ensure your cursor is positioned just above the body of the letter.  

1. Click Greeting Line 

Select a greeting of ‘To’, ‘Dear’ or ‘None’ from the Greeting line format drop-down menu.  

15. Click OK 

Next, I am going to personalize my letters further by adding an individual merge field to the body of the letter. I want the opening line of the letter to read ‘Thank you, Vicky, for your recent inquiry…’. 

1. Position the cursor where you would like to insert the merge field 

1. Click Insert Merge Field 

The merge field listed is the individual column headings from the Excel spreadsheet. You can use one or more merge fields together or separately to personalize the document.  

18. Select First_Name 

Completing the merge 

Once all the merge fields are added to the letter, you can complete the merge. You can choose to send the merged letter directly to print directly to email recipients, or you can choose to view the merged letters before choosing what action to take.  

1. Click Finish and Merge 

1. Select Edit Individual Documents 

1. Merge All Records 

1. Click OK 

Word will create a letter personalized to each individual in your contact list. 

Video Tutorial 

To see Mail Merge in action, please watch the following video tutorial.  

How to Mail Merge in Word (11:36) 

For more Free Microsoft Office tutorials from Simon Sez IT. Take a look at our MS Office Resource Center.

To learn Word with Simon Sez IT. Take a look at the Word courses we have available.