Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated February 10, 2023)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021
Word includes a very powerful mail merge feature. In order to take advantage of this feature, you need to create a main document. This document is the "template" or "boilerplate" for your finished document. It includes everything Word needs to create the finished document, including placeholders for the data that Word extracts from a data file.
A mail merge document is not complete, however, until you have also specified a data file that you want to associate with the main document. To create your main mail merge document and attach a data source to it, follow these steps:
At this point, you are ready to modify or type your main document. You will include merge fields in the document that indicate where you want the data from your data file to appear.
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (5965) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Beginning a Mail Merge.
Learning Made Easy! Quickly teach yourself how to format, publish, and share your content using Word 2013. With Step by Step, you set the pace, building and practicing the skills you need, just when you need them! Check out Microsoft Word 2013 Step by Step today!
When you merge information into a document, Word provides two different ways you can create your output. Here's an ...
Discover MoreWhen you are merging data from an Access database, you may get more information than you want, especially when it comes ...
Discover MoreWhen merging ZIP Codes from a data source such as Excel, you might find that Word ends up dropping out leading zeroes in ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)
Got a version of Word that uses the ribbon interface (Word 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the menu interface.
Visit the WordTips channel on YouTube
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Comments