To perform a mail merge from Excel to Word, first prepare your Excel data sheet with labeled columns and no blank rows; next set up the main document in Word using merge fields for personalization; then connect Word to the Excel spreadsheet via the Mailings tab; finally preview and finish the merge by choosing either print or email options. Begin by organizing Excel data with clear column headers like First Name and Address, avoiding special characters. Open a new Word document and insert merge fields such as ?First Name? in the greeting. Link to the Excel file through "Select Recipients" under the Mailings tab and choose the correct worksheet. Preview results to ensure accuracy and complete the merge by printing or sending emails, confirming settings like the subject line and recipient field before finalizing.

If you need to send the same letter or email to multiple people with slight variations—like names and addresses—mail merge is your best bet. Doing a mail merge from Excel to Word is actually pretty straightforward once you know the steps. Here’s how to do it without getting tripped up.

Prepare Your Excel Data Sheet

Before jumping into Word, make sure your data is clean and well-organized in Excel. Each column will become a field in your Word document (like First Name, Last Name, Address), so label those clearly in the first row.

• Make sure there are no blank rows or columns
• Avoid special characters in column headers
• Save the file as a regular .xlsx or .xls format

Also, keep all address-related fields separate if you plan to use them for envelopes or labels later. For example, Street, City, State, ZIP should each be their own column rather than one big “Address” field.

Set Up Your Main Document in Word

Open Word and start a new blank document. This will be your template—the content everyone sees. Think of it as the base letter or email everyone gets.

Go to the Mailings tab, then click Start Mail Merge and choose either Letters, Emails, Envelopes, or Labels depending on your needs.

Now insert placeholders for the personalized info using the Insert Merge Field button. For example, type “Dear” and then insert the First Name field right after it.

Here’s a quick breakdown:

• Start with a greeting that uses a merge field like ?First Name?
• Write the body of the letter normally
• Include another merge field at the end if needed, like an account number or unique ID

You don’t have to insert every field now—you can add more later when previewing the results.

Connect Word to Your Excel Spreadsheet

Back in the Mailings tab, click Select Recipients, then Use an Existing List. Browse to your Excel file and select it.

Word will ask which worksheet or named range to use. If your data is in the first sheet and you didn’t set up any ranges, just pick the sheet name.

After connecting, you can check the list by clicking Edit Recipient List. From here, you can filter out people you don’t want included, like excluding blanks or specific regions.

Preview and Finish the Merge

Once everything’s connected, click Preview Results to see how each letter or email looks with real data. You can scroll through each entry using the arrows next to “Preview Results.”

When you’re satisfied, you have two options:

• Click Finish & Merge > Print Documents if you’re printing letters
• Or choose Send E-Mail Messages if you’re doing an email merge (requires Outlook)

Make sure the email merge option is only available if you selected "Email Messages" at the beginning. Also, if sending emails, double-check the subject line and email address field before hitting go.

That’s basically it. Once you’ve done it once, it moves pretty quickly. Just remember to always double-check your Excel formatting and test with one or two entries before going all-in.

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