Mail Merge to Email

 

Learning Goal:

This short tutorial will teach you how to perform a mail merge to email using an Access database that stores the email address.  

An Access and Word file are included for the skill practice below

Introduction:

You may be familiar with mail merge, a feature that allows you to merge data like names and addresses with a form letter so that you end up creating individualized letters for each person in your data list.

But did you know that if you maintain email addresses for your data in either Excel or Access, you can also merge directly to email?  Each recipient receives a personalized email with only her/his name in the TO box.  The body of the email message is also personalized with that recipients information.  

Process Example 

Data Storage Information

First, create your data (if necessary).  

If you are using Excel to store your data, then the first row must contain the field names for the records.

If you are using Access, the data type for the email addresses is text, not hyperlink. (see figure 1)

Email addresses for all records are not required for this process to work.  But, only those records that contain email address will receive the merge document. 

Begin the Process in Word

  1. From within Word either open an existing letter or begin a new letter
    if you plan on using the letter again, save it

  2. Click Tools, Mail Merge

  3. Click Create, then select Form letter

  4. Click Active Window (when a message box appears)

  5. Click Tools, Mail Merge

  6. Click Get Data, Open Data Source

  7. From within the Open Data Source box, change Files of Type to Access Databases (or Excel Spreadsheets)

  8. Use the Look In down arrow to navigate to the database, then double click on the database

  9. Click on the table or query you want to use, click OK, then click the Edit Document button

  10.  Use the Insert Merge Field drop down list to insert merge fields (figure 2) wherever you want the variable information (such as first name) to appear in the letter.


  

 

 

screen shot of a table of data in Access

Figure 1- Student data stored in an Access table.  Some students have provided their email address, which are stored as text.

 

 

 

 

 

screen shot of inserting merge fields in Word

Figure 2 - Click where you want merge fields to appear, then click the Insert Merge Field button

Practice

  1. Download the practice database and the Word file (Merge Practice.doc) letter (links below).  
  2. Open the database and enter email address in half the records.
  3. Enter your own email address and those of people you know.  
    Let them know you are practicing this skill so that they won't be surprised when they get an email addressed to "Bart Simpson".
  4. Close the database
  5. Open the practice Word file.
  6. Follow the steps above to complete the practice merge. 
  7. Within the Word practice file the BOLD text indicates which field to insert at that location.