(Legacy) Microsoft Word 2007: Mail Merge: Using an Excel Table for Mail Merge
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Tables (databases) created in Excel can have many uses, which include allowing you to use it to merge information into Word for large mailings. This ensures that you will not have to duplicate information you already have in your Excel table to perform a mail merge. This document provides an overview of creating a mail merge using information from an existing Excel table.
NOTES:
The Excel table must already exist for this option to work.
For more information about Word's Mail Merge process, refer to Mail Merge: An Overview.
For more information about creating Excel tables, refer to Creating Tables .
WARNING: In order for the merge to work correctly, the field names of your Excel table must begin in the top left corner of your worksheet, at cell A1.
To create a mail merge using data from an Excel table:
From the Ribbon, select the Mailings command tab
In the Start Mail Merge group, click START MAIL MERGE » select the desired document type
EXAMPLE: Select Letters
In the Start Mail Merge group, click SELECT RECIPIENTS » select Use Existing List...
The Select Data Source dialog box appears.Using the Look in pull-down list, find and select the desired Excel file
Click OPEN
The Select Table dialog box appears.
If your Excel workbook has multiple worksheets, select the worksheet containing your list of recipients
(Optional) If the first row of your worksheet contains headings instead of information to be included in the merge, select First row of data contains column headers
Click OK
- To select the recipients you want to include in your mail merge
- In the Start Mail Merge group, click EDIT RECIPIENT LIST
The Mail Merge Recipients dialog box appears. - Select the recipients
NOTE: A recipient is selected if the checkbox beside their entry is selected.
Click OK
NOTE: To edit the recipient information, refer to Working with the Recipients List.
- In the Start Mail Merge group, click EDIT RECIPIENT LIST
In your document, type the message, leaving space for information to be added in the mail merge
- To insert merge fields
- Position the insertion point where you want to insert the variable information within your document
In the Write & Insert Fields group, click INSERT MERGE FIELD » select the desired field
NOTES:
Be sure to click the text of the INSERT MERGE FIELD button below the picture to access the drop-down list.
The fields available to you will be the column headers of your Excel worksheet.
When finished, in the Preview Results group, click PREVIEW RESULTS
A preview of your first recipient's letter appears.
NOTE: For more information on editing the recipient information, refer to Working with the Recipients List.(Optional) To preview your document with other recipients' information, in the Preview Results group, click the arrows
- To print the document< >From the Finish group, click FINISH & MERGE » select Print Documents...
The Merge to Printer dialog box appears.
To print documents for all of your records, select All
To print a document for only the record displayed, select Current record
To print documents for only certain records, type a range in the text boxes Click OK
The Print dialog box appears.Make any necessary adjustments
NOTE: Refer to Printing Options for Specific Pages for more information.Click OK - From the Finish group, click FINISH & MERGE » select Edit Individual Documents...
The Merge to New Document dialog box appears.
- To edit the documents for all of your records, select All
To edit the document for only the record displayed, select Current record
To edit the documents for only certain records, type a range in the text boxes - Click OK
- Make the appropriate changes in the new document that appears