The easiest way to create a data source in Word is to use the Mail Merge command to start a main document. After you've created the data source, you can delete the blank main document. In a new document window, click Mail Merge (Tools menu), click Create, and then click Form Letters. When Word displays a message, click Active Window. Then click Get Data and create a data source.

Create a new mail-merge data source in Word

Create a form letter:

  1. To use an existing letter as a form letter, open the letter.
  2. To create a new letter, click New on the File menu, and then select a letter template.
  3. On the Tools menu, click Mail Merge.
  4. Click Create, click Form Letters, and then click Active Window.
    The active document becomes the mail-merge main document.
Tip: You can view the resulting form letters before you print them or send them online.

If the Create Data Source dialog box is not displayed, click anywhere in the main document, and then click Mail Merge Helper on the Mail Merge toolbar.

Creating a Data Source
  1. Click Get Data.
  2. To create a new list of names and addresses in Word, click Create Data Source, and then set up the data records.
  3. To use an existing list of names and addresses in a Word document or in a worksheet, database, or other list, click Open Data Source.
  4. In the Mail Merge Helper dialog box, click Get Data and then click Create Data Source.
 
  1. In the Field names in header row box, review the data fields. Word will include in the data source all data fields in the Field names in header row box unless you delete or change them.
  2. To delete a field, click the field name in the Field names in header row box, and then click Remove Field Name.
  3. To add a field, type a new field name in the Field name box, and then click Add Field Name.
  4. To change the order of the fields, click a field name in the Field names in header row box, and then click one of the arrow buttons.
  5. When the Field names in header row box contains all of the fields you need, click OK, and then save the data source.

The Data Form dialogue box comes up.

  1. When Word displays a message, click Edit Data Source.
  2. In the Data Form dialog box, type the information for each field, and then press <ENTER>.
  3. If no information exists for a particular field, press <ENTER> to skip the field. Do not type spaces in the box.
  4. To start a new record, click Add New.
  5. To return to the main document after you've entered the information, click OK.
 

Word will ask you to save changes to the data source when you close the main document.
To save changes to the data source before returning to the main document,

  1. Click View Source
  2. Click Save
    To return to the main document,
  3. Click Mail Merge Main Document on the Database toolbar.
Opening an Existing Data Source
  1. Click Get Data.
  2. To opening a file you have already created that contains the merge info (such as mailing address names), click Open Data Source
 

The Open Data Source dialogue box comes up. It is similar to the Open dialogue box, but it presumes that you are looking for a database type file, so the file type list is limited to database and spreadsheet programs.

If the file is not an MS Word document, change the Files of type: drop-down to the correct file type, or to All Files to see everything.

If you choose an Excel that has filtering turned on, you have the option to select only the portion of the database that meets your filtering criteria.

Editing the Main Document
  1. After you designate the data source and Word displays a message, click Edit Main Document.
  2. In the main document, type the text you want to appear in every form letter.
  1. Click where you want to insert a name, address, or other information that changes in each letter. On the Mail Merge toolbar, click Insert Merge Field, and then click the field name that you want.
 
  1. Select the field names, one at a time, to place them in your document.
Merging to Printer
  1. After you insert all of the merge fields and complete the main document, click Mail Merge Helper on the Mail Merge toolbar.
  2. Click Merge.
  3. In the Merge to box, click Printer.
  4. To send the form letter only to selected addressees, click Query Options, and then specify criteria for selecting the data records.
  5. Click Merge.
Tips on planning a data source
  • Allow enough data fields for the data records with the most information.
  • Some clients on a mailing list might have more address information than others ¾ for example, a business name, a department title, and up to three lines for the address. In a data source, however, all the data records must have the same number of data fields. If a data record doesn't have a particular category of information, leave the field blank for that record.
  • Information you want to sort by ¾ for example, city, state, postal code, or addressee's last name ¾ must be in a separate data field.
  • To speed mail delivery in the United States, set up addresses to display postal bar codes.
  • The addressee's ZIP Code and delivery address ¾ such as a street name and number or a post office box ¾ must be in separate data fields.
  • Organize data so that you can use it in different ways.
    For example, when you set up a data source to print form letters, plan the address information so that you can use the same data source to print either mailing labels or envelopes. By placing the title, first name, and last name in separate fields, you can use the same field to print the last name in both the address (Mr. Gerard LaSalle) and the salutation (Dear Mr. LaSalle).