Mail Merge
Introduction
Mail Merge is a feature in word processing software that creates many personalised documents automatically. It works by combining a main document with a data source containing individual information, such as names and addresses.
Instead of preparing a separate letter, invitation or certificate for every person, the user prepares one common document and lets the software insert the correct details for each recipient.
Mail Merge is useful for producing personalised letters, invitations, certificates, address labels and email messages.
1. Main Components of Mail Merge
Mail Merge mainly uses two components: a master document and a data source.
Master Document
The master document is the main document that contains the common content shared by all recipients. It also contains merge fields, which act as placeholders for information that changes from one recipient to another.
For example, a school invitation may contain the same event details for every recipient, while the recipient's name and address are inserted separately.
Data Source (Address List)
A data source is a file that stores the information to be inserted into the master document. It is also called an address list.
The data source is commonly arranged as a table. It may be created using a spreadsheet, a word-processing table or a database.
A data source contains:
- Fields: Columns that represent categories of information, such as FirstName, LastName, Address, City and Email.
- Records: Rows that contain the information about one recipient. Each record normally represents one person or organisation.
FirstName Address City Email
Sahan 12, Lake Road Colombo sahan@gmail.com Nethmi 45, Park Lane Kandy nethmi@gmail.com
In this example, City is a field, while the complete row containing Sahan's details is a record.
Merge Fields
Merge fields are placeholders inserted into the master document. During the merge, each placeholder is replaced with the corresponding value from the selected data-source record.
Common merge fields include:
«FirstName»-- inserts the recipient's first name.«LastName»-- inserts the recipient's last name.«City»-- inserts the recipient's city.«AddressBlock»-- inserts a formatted address.«GreetingLine»-- inserts a greeting, such as "Dear Sahan".
The exact fields available depend on the columns in the selected data source.
2. How Mail Merge Works
Mail Merge combines the common information in the master document with the individual information stored in the data source.
Data source + Master document + Merge fields
Mail Merge process
Personalised documents for the recipients
For example, a school can prepare one invitation letter and use a list of students' names and addresses to create a separate personalised invitation for each student.
3. Inserting Merge Fields in Microsoft Word 2010
In Microsoft Word 2010, merge fields can be inserted using the Mailings tab.
- Open the master document.
- Go to the Mailings tab.
- Select Address Block, Greeting Line or Insert Merge Field.
- Choose the required field from the list.
- Place the field in the appropriate position in the document.
Address Block inserts a formatted address, while Greeting Line inserts a suitable greeting. Insert Merge Field allows an individual field, such as FirstName or City, to be placed at a specific location.
4. Completing a Mail Merge
The Mail Merge process in Word 2010 can be organised into six main stages.
Step 1: Select Document Type
Choose the type of document to create. Common options include:
- Letters
- E-mail messages
- Envelopes
- Labels
- Directory
The selected type determines how the merged information will be arranged.
Step 2: Select the Starting Document
Choose the document that will be used as the master document. You can use the current document or select a template.
Step 3: Select Recipients
Choose the data source that contains the recipient information.
You can:
- Use an existing list, such as an Excel file.
- Type a new list.
- Choose contacts from Outlook.
The recipient list supplies the records that will be used to personalise the documents.
Step 4: Insert Merge Fields
Add the required fields to the master document. These fields identify where recipient-specific information should appear.
For example:
Dear «FirstName»,
The common text remains the same, but the first name changes for each recipient.
Step 5: Preview Merged Documents
Use Preview Results to check how the documents will look after the fields have been replaced with actual recipient information.
The navigation controls can be used to view different records. This helps identify missing or incorrectly positioned information before completing the merge.
Step 6: Complete the Merge
Finish the process and choose what to do with the merged documents. They can be:
- Printed as personalised documents.
- Edited individually when further changes are needed.
- Saved for later use.
- Sent by e-mail, where an email merge is being used.
5. Examples and Applications
<ExampleLabel>{=html}Example: Personalised school
invitations</ExampleLabel>{=html}
A school needs to send invitations to 100 parents. Preparing each invitation separately would take time.
The school can create one master invitation containing the event details and merge fields for the parent's name and address. The address list contains the details of all 100 parents.
The software combines the master invitation with each record and produces personalised invitations.
Other common uses include:
- Letters: Sending the same announcement to many people with individual names and addresses.
- Invitations: Creating invitations for different guests.
- Certificates: Producing certificates with each recipient's name.
- Address labels: Creating labels using recipient address information.
- E-mail messages: Sending personalised messages to multiple recipients.
6. Advantages of Mail Merge
- Saves time: One master document can be used to create many personalised documents.
- Reduces repeated work: Common content does not need to be typed separately for every recipient.
- Improves consistency: The same layout and common message can be maintained across all documents.
- Supports personalisation: Individual details can be inserted automatically.
- Useful for bulk communication: It is suitable for organisations that regularly send letters, invitations, certificates or labels.
Exam-Focused Points
Key Idea: Mail Merge creates multiple personalised documents by combining a master document with a data source.
Key Idea: In an address list, a column is a field and a row is a record.
Key Idea: The six main stages are selecting the document type, selecting the starting document, selecting recipients, inserting merge fields, previewing the merged documents and completing the merge.
Quick Revision: Important Terms
Term Meaning
Mail Merge A feature used to create multiple personalised documents automatically.
Master document The main document containing common content and merge fields.
Data source / Address list A file containing recipient information.
Field A column containing one category of information.
Record A row containing the information for one recipient.
Merge field A placeholder that is replaced with information from a data-source record.
Preview Results A feature used to check the personalised documents before completing the merge.
Summary
Mail Merge is a word-processing feature that combines a master document with a data source to create multiple personalised documents. The master document contains common text and merge fields, while the data source contains recipient records arranged in fields. In Microsoft Word 2010, the process is managed through the Mailings tab. Users select the document type, starting document and recipients, insert merge fields, preview the results and complete the merge by printing, editing, saving or sending the documents.