Create personalized email messages

  • Click Mailing tab > go to Start Mail Merge group > click Start Mail Merge > choose Email Messages…

  • Notice that Word reformats the document view to a wider view called Web Layout view which is similar to the view when the new email message is created

 

 

Select recipients

  • Click Mailing tab > go to Start Mail Merge group > click Select Recipients > choose the desired secondary data source, for example Use Existing List…

  • In the Select Data Source dialog box, select the desired data file > click Open

  • In the Select Table dialog box, select the desired worksheet indicated with the “$” at the end of the name > click OK

  •  Click Mailing tab > go to Start Mail Merge group > click Edit Recipient List

  •  In the Mail Merge Recipients dialog box, preview or refine recipient list if desired

 


Insert merge field

  • Place the mouse to where you want insert a merge field > click Mailing tab > go to Write & Insert fields group > choose either Greeting Line or Insert Merge Field to place field code in the email message

  • Notice that these fields have delimiters around them that are inserted not typed

 

  • Click Mailing tab > go to Preview Results group > click Preview Results > click Highlight Merge Fields

  • Notice that variable text inside delimiters reflect with records from the data source. Click Mailing tab > go to Preview Results group > click the next and previous record arrows to visually preview the merge results

 

Check for merge errors

  • Click Mailing tab > go to Preview Results group > click Auto Check for Errors

  • In the Check and Reporting Errors dialog box, select the appropriate option

    • If the data source has just a few hundred records stored locally in Excel or Outlook, you should choose Simulate the merge and report errors in a new document option

    • If the data source is a very large database such as a SQL Server or Access database with thousands of records, you can select Complete the merge without pausing. Report errors in a new document option because the simulation might not accurately identify those errors even though you already filtered data sources

 

Send email messages

  • In order to preview the email message before you actually send it to your recipients, launch Outlook program > click Send & Receive tab > go to Preferences group > click Work Offline. By doing this, none of any emails will be sent and received from now until you turn Work Offline mode off

  • Switch to Word email message > click Mailing tab > go to Finish group > click Finish & Merge > choose Send E-mail Message…

  • In the Merge to E-mail dialog box, do the following:

    • Under Message options, do the following:

      • Make sure Email selected from the To list down menu

      • In the Subject line text box, identify the subject of the email message

      • Click the Mail format drop down menu > select the desired format

    • Under Send records, select the desired merge option

      • NOTE: For reviewing purpose, select From ….To…. option to merge a portion of records in the data source.

    • Click OK

  • Switch to Outlook program > click Outbox > double-click email messages to preview them > turn off Work Offline to send the email