Simple Mail Merge using Microsoft Excel, Word, and Outlook.
- Charles Castro
- Apr 28
- 4 min read
Updated: May 2
Question: Can you give me instructions so that I can build a mailing list and send messages on my own?
Here is a set of instructions for creating a mailing list then merging the details to Word, then sending them as email. Experiment with these instructions, then consider your own List with the details that you need.
Here are the steps to create a mailing list in Excel, merge it with a letter in MS Word, and send it via MS Outlook, written for a beginner:
Part 1: Creating Your Mailing List in Excel
Open Microsoft Excel and choose to open a blank spreadsheet.
In the very first row, type in the headings for your information. For this example, type the following into the first three cells:
In cell A1, type: Name
In cell B1, type: Business Name
In cell C1, type: Email Address (use your email address for all items so that you can see the test results).
Now, starting from the second row, enter your contact information under the correct headings. Here are three examples you can use:
A2: Alice Smith
B2: Alice Tech Solutions Inc.
A3: Bob Johnson
B3: Bob Johnson Global Marketing Group
A4: Charlie Brown
B4: Charlie Brown Creative Designs Co.
Click on the "File" menu in the top left corner.
Select "Save As".
Choose a location on your computer where you want to save the file (like your Desktop or Documents).
In the "File name" box, type a name for your list (for example, Customer Mailing List).
Make sure the "Save as type" is set to "Excel Workbook (*.xlsx)". This is usually the default.
Click the "Save" button. Now your mailing list is saved!
Part 2: Creating Your Letter in Microsoft Word and Merging the List
Open Microsoft Word and choose a blank document.
Type your letter. Remember to leave the space where you want to insert the names and other information from your Excel list. For this example, you can type something like this:
Dear [Name],
We're excited to announce a special sale for [Business Name]!
For a limited time, you can get 10% off all Acme-Widgets.
Don't miss out on this fantastic opportunity!
Sincerely,
Your Signature Block
Note: We've put [Name] and [Business Name] in brackets as placeholders. We will replace these with the actual names from your Excel list during the mail merge. Omit the numbers used for the instructions.
Part 2a – Start The Mail Merge
Click on the "Mailings" tab at the top of the Word window.
In the "Start Mail Merge" group, click on "Start Mail Merge" and then select "Letters".
In the "Select Recipients" group, click on "Select Recipients" and then choose "Use an Existing List...".
A window will pop up asking you to find your data source. Navigate to where the folder with the Excel file (Customer Mailing List) and select it. Click "Open".
If your Excel file has multiple sheets, Word will ask you which sheet contains your data. Usually, it's "Sheet1$". Make sure the box "First row of data contains column headers" is checked (because you typed "Name", "Business Name", and "Email Address" in the first row). Click "OK".
Now, it's time to insert the information from your Excel list into your letter. Place your cursor where you typed [Name] in your letter.
In the "Write & Insert Fields" group on the "Mailings" tab, click on "Insert Merge Field" and select "Name". You should see «Name» appear in your document.
Place your cursor where you typed [Business Name] in your letter.
In the "Write & Insert Fields" group, click on "Insert Merge Field" and select "Business Name". You should see «Business Name» appear.
Now, to see how your letter will look with the actual data, click on the "Preview Results" button in the "Preview Results" group on the "Mailings" tab. You can use the arrow buttons next to "Preview Results" to see how the letter will look for each person in your list.
Once you're happy with how it looks, in the "Finish" group, click on "Finish & Merge" and select "Edit Individual Documents...".
A window will pop up asking if you want to merge all records, the current record, or a range. Select "All" and click "OK". This will create a new Word document with personalized letters for each person in your Excel list.
Part 3: Sending Your Letters via Microsoft Outlook
In the merged Word document (the one with all the individual letters), click on the "Mailings" tab again.
In the "Finish" group, click on the arrow under "Finish & Merge" and select "Send Email Messages...
A "Merge to E-mail" window will appear.
In the "To..." dropdown menu, select "Email Address" (this tells Word which column in your Excel list contains the email addresses).
In the "Subject line" box, type the subject of your email (for example, "Special 10% Off Sale at Acme-Widgets!").
You can leave the "Mail format" as "HTML" (this allows for formatting like bold text).
Under "Send records", you can choose to send "All records" or a specific range. For this test email list, you'll select "All records".
Click "OK".
Outlook will now open and send an individual email with the personalized letter to each email address in your Excel list. This short (3 item) list should be sent in moments. Longer lists may show up in your Outbox until all items are mailed.
You should get three (3) individualized messages in your inbox to allow you to confirm the process worked.
Mail Merge from Microsoft Excel to Word to Outlook - Done!
Now you are ready to build your own list. Consider the details that you want to include like: Salutation, First Name, Last Name, Title, Company Name, Street Address, City, State, Zip Code, Telephone... add columns as needed in Excel and insert them as needed in the Word Document.
If you would like to walk through this process on a video call, Contact Us and let's chat!
~ Xolo
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