Using If-Then-Else Rules in Mail Merge in Word: A Simple Guide

1. Click the Mailings tab.
2. Click the Start Mail Merge button.
3. Select Step-by-Step Mail Merge Wizard.

The Mail Merge pane appears on the right, ready to walk you through the mail merge.

4. Select a type of document to create.
5. Click Next: Starting document.

1. Choose a document to start with.

You can either use the current document, select a template, or pick an existing document for your mail merge.

2. Click Next: Select recipients to continue.

1. Choose a document to start with.

You can either use the current document, select a template, or pick an existing document for your mail merge.

2. Click Next: Select recipients to continue.

1. Select your data file.

Your mail merge recipients can come from various data files, such as a database, Excel spreadsheet, Word document, or other file types.

2. Click Open.

The Mail Merge Recipients dialog box will show the addresses from your data file. If you’re using an Excel file, you might also need to choose the specific worksheet containing the addresses.

3. If there’s an address you don’t want to include, simply uncheck it.

1. Make sure the right recipients are selected and click OK.
2. Click Next: Write your letter.

Write Your Letter

Once your main document is ready and you’ve connected and edited your recipient list, you can start adding merge fields. These fields act as placeholders for unique information, like names or addresses, from your recipient list.

When you insert a merge field into the document, it will pull the specific information for each recipient.

1. Click where you want to add the information.
2. Choose one of the placeholder options.

You can insert merge fields either from the wizard or from the Write & Insert Fields group on the ribbon:

• Address Block: Inserts names and addresses of the recipients.
• Greeting Line: Inserts the recipient’s name in the greeting line.
• Insert Merge Field: Click this to see a list of other fields you can insert.

Customize the Placeholder

1. After selecting your placeholder, click OK.
2. (Optional) Repeat these steps to add any other merge fields you want in the document.
3. Click Next: Preview your letters to continue.

Preview Your Mail Merge

It’s helpful to see how the actual data will look in your document instead of just viewing the merge field names. Previewing ensures everything appears as you want before completing the mail merge.

1. Use the arrow buttons in the Mail Merge pane to preview each merged document. You can also use the arrow buttons in the Preview Results group on the ribbon.
2. To find a specific recipient, click Find Recipient in the Preview Results group or in the Mail Merge pane.
3. Click Next: Complete the merge to move on.

Complete the Merge

After adding your recipient list and inserting merge fields into the document, the final step is to create a separate version for each recipient.

You have two ways to finish the mail merge:

• Edit Individual Documents: Creates a new document with the merged data. You can edit, save, and print it just like any other document.
• Print Documents: Merges the records and sends them directly to the printer.

1. Choose the option you want to finish the mail merge.
2. You can also click the Finish & Merge button on the ribbon to select a merge option.

Additionally, you can decide which records to merge—either all, just the one currently displayed, or a specific range.

3. Select the records you want to merge and click OK.

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