How to do a mail merge in Word (letters and labels)
Send the same letter to a whole list of people with each one personalised, using a spreadsheet as the source.
Mail merge takes one letter and a list of names, then produces a personalised copy for everybody on the list. It is the fastest way to send a price change, an invitation or a statement to hundreds of customers. You will need your list in an Excel spreadsheet first.
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Get your spreadsheet ready
Open Excel and make sure row 1 holds your column headings — for example First Name, Surname, Address 1, Town, Postcode. Every following row is one recipient. Do not leave blank rows in the middle, and do not merge any cells. Save and close the file before you start the merge.
Tip: Word reads the headings exactly as typed, so keep them short and obvious.
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Start the merge in Word
Open a new blank document, go to the Mailings tab, click Start Mail Merge and choose Letters. If you are printing address labels choose Labels instead and pick your label sheet code (Avery L7160 is the common 21-per-sheet one).
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Connect your list
Still on the Mailings tab, click Select Recipients then Use an Existing List. Browse to your spreadsheet and choose the correct worksheet when prompted. Click Edit Recipient List if you want to untick anyone before sending.
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Write the letter and drop in the fields
Type your letter as normal. Wherever a personal detail belongs, click Insert Merge Field and pick the column. So you might type "Dear " then insert First Name, then a comma. The field shows as «First_Name» until you preview.
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Preview and check
Click Preview Results and use the arrows to step through several recipients. Look for missing postcodes, stray capital letters and double spaces where a field was empty.
Tip: Check the last record as well as the first — problems often hide at the end of a list.
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Finish the merge
Click Finish & Merge. Choose Edit Individual Documents to create one long document you can check and save, or Print Documents to send straight to the printer. Always print one page first before committing a full ream of headed paper.
Common questions
My numbers show as 12.3400000001 or lose their currency symbol.
Word ignores Excel formatting. Either format the value as text in Excel first, or right-click the field in Word, choose Toggle Field Codes and add a numeric picture switch such as \# "£#,##0.00".
Can I email the merge instead of printing?
Yes — add an Email column to your spreadsheet, then choose Finish & Merge, Send Email Messages. Outlook must be installed and signed in, and it sends one message at a time so a big list takes a while.