However \u2014 you should know this going in \u2014 Outlook isn’t great for mail merge<\/a><\/strong>. We’re still going to tell you how to do it, but you should know going in, it’s not ideal. If you have the option to use Gmail instead, you’ll be much better off.<\/strong> Later in this article, I’ll give you the quick rundown of the fastest and easiest way to do a Gmail mail merge<\/a> (again, since that’s going to be a better route to go if possible).<\/p>\n But first, I\u2019ll walk you through the steps for how to perform a mail merge in Outlook<\/a>. I\u2019ll also cover the limitations of the mail merge Outlook process and highlight the best mail merge approach for 2023<\/a>.<\/p>\n (Click on a link to jump to a specific section.)<\/p>\n Let\u2019s jump right in, shall we?<\/p>\n A mail merge<\/b> is an automated<\/b> process of creating personalized <\/b>mass emails<\/b> by using data from a spreadsheet or database file.<\/p>\n Essentially, a mail merge fetches the details of multiple recipients from a source file and inserts them into your email message template.<\/p>\n Why should you send <\/i><\/b>personalized emails<\/i><\/b>?<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n A personalized email<\/a> looks like it’s tailor-made<\/b> for a particular recipient, making it feel unique and relevant. This improves your engagement rate, as around 72% of recipients<\/b><\/a> will engage only<\/strong> with emails that are personalized<\/b> to reflect their specific interests.<\/p>\n Performing a mail merge involves a few fundamental steps:<\/p>\n Now that we\u2019ve covered the basics of the mail merge process, let\u2019s see how you can send mail merge Outlook messages:<\/p>\n To perform a mail merge in Outlook, follow these steps:<\/p>\n Let\u2019s go over each of these steps in detail:<\/p>\n The first step is preparing your email\u2019s body copy.<\/p>\n For this, you need to use Microsoft Word <\/b><\/a>to create your merge document.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s how to prepare your starting document in Word:<\/p>\n 1. Open Microsoft Word<\/b> and select Blank <\/b>document<\/b>.<\/p>\n 2. Click the Mailings<\/b> tab in the ribbon (menu bar).<\/p>\n 3. Click the Start <\/b>Mail Merge<\/b> button under the Mailings <\/b>tab.<\/p>\n 4. Select E-mail Messages<\/b> from the drop-down list.<\/p>\n 5. Type in the body of your email message in plain text format.<\/p>\n Leave placeholders in the email message for the parts you want to personalize, like First Name<\/i>, Due Date<\/i>, etc.<\/p>\n Note: No placeholders are required at this stage.<\/b><\/p>\n You don\u2019t need<\/b> to include placeholders while creating your email message body in MS Word. Instead, you can directly insert the merge fields later. However, adding placeholders at this point will help you identify where you\u2019re supposed to insert merge fields at the end of this process.<\/p>\n Before you can send out personalized bulk emails, you’ll need a spreadsheet with the data for your recipient list.<\/p>\n How do you do that?<\/i><\/p>\n Create an Excel spreadsheet<\/a> listing the data your mail merge might require (like First Name<\/i>, Due Date<\/i>, etc.) and format<\/a> it suitably.<\/p>\n To do this:<\/p>\n 1. Open Microsoft Excel<\/b> and select Blank workbook<\/b>.<\/p>\n 2. Add column headers for the data you want to personalize in the email message \u2014 like First Name<\/i>, Due Date<\/i>, etc.<\/p>\n 3. Add your data under the respective column headers.<\/p>\n 4. Click on the File <\/b>tab at the top left corner of the ribbon and select Save As<\/b>.<\/p>\n 5. Type in a suitable name for your mail merge data file and click Save<\/b>.<\/p>\n You\u2019ve created your mail merge message in Word and consolidated your personalization data in an Excel spreadsheet.<\/p>\n What now?<\/i><\/p>\n It\u2019s time to link your starting document and the Excel file to perform the mail merge.<\/p>\n To do this:<\/p>\n 1. Open MS Word<\/b> and click the \u201cSelect Recipients\u201d<\/b> button from the Mailings<\/b> tab.<\/p>\n Then, click on Use an <\/b>Existing List<\/b>.<\/p>\n Note: Alternative to Existing List<\/b><\/p>\n Instead of using an existing list, you can also create a new list or choose specific contacts from your Outlook contact directory.<\/p>\n However, as this can be a little more complicated and time-consuming, I don\u2019t recommend creating a new list or selecting it from the Outlook contacts folder. It\u2019s a lot easier to just make a spreadsheet in Excel and then <\/b>link it here.<\/p>\n 2. From your computer\u2019s File Explorer<\/b>, find your mail merge data file and select it.<\/p>\n 3. In the new dialog box that pops-up, choose the sheet that contains your data in your spreadsheet. Remember to check \u2018First row of data contains column headers<\/b>.\u2019 (located at the left of the OK button.)<\/p>\n Then, click OK<\/b>.<\/p>\n Note: <\/i><\/b>If there\u2019s only one sheet in the Excel spreadsheet, that sheet will be automatically highlighted in the dialog box.<\/i><\/p>\n Additionally, do not tick the <\/i>First row of data contains headers<\/b> option if you haven\u2019t added column headers for your data in the first row<\/i>. However, I recommend adding column headers to your sheet to minimize the chances of any errors occurring.<\/i><\/p>\n 4. Select and replace each placeholder with a corresponding column header from your Excel spreadsheet by clicking on the Insert Merge Field<\/b> button.<\/p>\n For example, we replace the placeholder {First Name}<\/i> in the Word Doc with the <<First_Name>> <\/i>merge field from the Excel spreadsheet.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s what it\u2019ll look like after inserting the merge field:<\/a><\/p>\n While your mail merge document is now ready, it\u2019s always important to preview your message to ensure everything looks all right.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s how to preview your mail merge:<\/p>\n 1. Click the Preview Results <\/b>button under the Mailings<\/b> tab in Word<\/b>.<\/p>\n 2. Verify that the mail merge fields are displaying correctly.<\/p>\n 3. Click the arrows next to Preview Results <\/b>to toggle between mail merge records and check for any merge field issues.<\/p>\n 4. Click the Finish & Merge <\/b>button and select Send Email Messages<\/b>.<\/p>\n 5. From the dialog box that appears, choose the column header containing email addresses for the To:<\/i> field.<\/p>\n 6. Type in the message Subject<\/i> line<\/i>, choose \u201cAll\u201d<\/i> for Send records<\/i> and click OK.<\/b><\/p>\n Once you click OK<\/b>, the mail merge messages will automatically get added to your Outlook Outbox<\/b>.<\/p>\n \u00a0Note:<\/i><\/b> A record represents a recipient in your data file.<\/i><\/p>\n If you don\u2019t want to send emails to all<\/b> the records in your file, just enter the starting and ending numbers in the From: and To: <\/i>fields, respectively. For example, if you want to select records from rows 30 to 75 in your Excel sheet, add those numbers here.<\/p>\n Mail Merge Wizard<\/b><\/p>\n If you\u2019re a little confused about these steps, you can always use the Step-by-Step Mail Merge Wizard option in Start Mail Merge drop-down list in Word. It\u2019ll guide you through each of the steps I just mentioned.<\/p>\n An easier option?<\/p>\n Just use GMass to send mail merge emails<\/a> in Gmail.<\/p>\n Now all that\u2019s left is to send out those mail merge emails.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s how to do that:<\/p>\n 1. Open Outlook.<\/p>\n 2. Click the Outbox<\/b> folder from the left-hand menu, and you\u2019ll find the personalized mail merge messages within the folder.<\/p>\n 3. Click the Send\/Receive All Folders <\/b>button.<\/p>\n Your merged emails will now go to each person on your recipient list.<\/p>\n Sure, an Outlook mail merge allows you to send personalized email messages to thousands of recipients.<\/p>\n However, if there\u2019s one thing that\u2019s clear, it\u2019s that performing mail merges in Outlook isn\u2019t easy.<\/p>\n Why?<\/i><\/p>\n Here are some disadvantages of performing an Outlook mail merge:<\/p>\n Not an ideal scenario for anyone looking to send out personalized mass emails, right?<\/p>\n But don\u2019t worry.<\/p>\n You can always use Gmail\u2019s mail merge feature instead!<\/p>\n Gmail<\/b><\/a> is a much more practical<\/b> alternative<\/b> for mail merges and sending personalized messages.<\/p>\n Why?<\/i><\/p>\n Here are some reasons why Gmail is better than Outlook mail when it comes to performing mail merges:<\/p>\n Unlike Microsoft’s Outlook, which comes with expensive pricing plans, Google offers Gmail free of cost<\/b>.<\/p>\n To access all of Gmail\u2019s excellent email features, you just need to create a free Google account.<\/p>\n Remember, you can\u2019t access Outlook\u2019s mail merge capabilities from their web app. It\u2019s only available on the Outlook mail desktop app.<\/p>\n However, Gmail lets you use mail merge directly from the web app<\/b>.<\/p>\n This way, you don\u2019t have to toggle between multiple desktop apps to perform a mail merge!<\/p>\n It\u2019s no secret that the Outlook user-interface and mail merge process can be confusing for many users.<\/p>\n On the other hand, Gmail features a streamlined and uncluttered user-interface. This makes it easier for you to use the tool, even for massive mail merges.<\/p>\n But what about the Gmail mail merge process<\/a>?<\/b><\/p>\n How complicated is it?<\/b><\/p>\n If you use GMass<\/b><\/a>, it\u2019s a piece of cake!<\/p>\n What\u2019s GMass?<\/b><\/p>\n GMass<\/b><\/a> is powerful email marketing automation software<\/b> that works directly inside Gmail<\/b>.<\/p>\n Its superior mail merge capabilities<\/b> have made it a popular tool used by employees in companies like Google and Uber and social media giants like Twitter and LinkedIn.<\/p>\n The tool is also perfect for small businesses, startups, solopreneurs, and nonprofits and institutions like churches<\/a>.<\/a><\/p>\n The best part?<\/i><\/p>\n To try out GMass for free, just download the Chrome extension<\/b><\/a> and sign up with your Gmail account \u2014 no credit card required.<\/p>\n With GMass, you can effortlessly create mail merge campaigns from both<\/b> Excel and Google Sheets.<\/p>\n Just follow these steps to perform a mail merge in GMass:<\/p>\n 1. Format your data file inside Google Sheets<\/b> \u2014 add header names to your first row (like FirstName, LastName, Email, etc.) and data from the second row onward.<\/p>\n Note<\/i><\/b>: If you\u2019re using an <\/i>Excel spreadsheet<\/i> to store the data of <\/i>multiple recipients<\/i>, simply upload the <\/i>Excel <\/i>file<\/i> to Google Drive, open it in Google Sheets, and follow the same steps.<\/i><\/p>\n 2. Next, sign in to your Gmail<\/b> account and open the Compose <\/b>window.<\/p>\n Type in your message and click on the GMass <\/b>button at the top right corner of the window.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t worry about adding email addresses in the To field or personalization placeholders in your message. GMass will do all of that for you!<\/p>\n 3. In the dialog box that appears, select the Google Sheets file and the corresponding sheet you want to use for the mail merge.<\/p>\n 4. Once done, click CONNECT TO <\/b>SPREADSHEET<\/b>.<\/p>\n Then, GMass will automatically<\/b> insert email addresses in the To <\/i>field of your mail merge message.<\/p>\n 5. Now, click the downward-facing arrow <\/b>next to the GMass<\/b> button to access the GMass Settings window. You can then auto-personalize<\/a> your emails, schedule<\/a> them, set follow-ups<\/a>, and more.<\/p>\n 6. To personalize your email automatically<\/strong>, click the Personalize <\/b>drop-down list to view all column headers (spreadsheet fields) present in the Google sheet. Or you can type a left curly brace 7. Select suitable column headers and add them as placeholders anywhere in your message body to personalize your emails.<\/p>\n 8. Once your email message is ready, click the GMass <\/b>button to send out your personalized mail merge messages.<\/p>\n Unlike Outlook, where you\u2019ll have to go through several steps and multiple apps to send out merged emails, GMass helps you send out <\/b>personalized mass emails<\/b> directly from Gmail in just a few clicks<\/b>!<\/p>\n For more info on mail merges, check out my guides on:<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n But that\u2019s not all.<\/p>\n With GMass, you can also:<\/p>\n 1. Send fully <\/b>personalized<\/b><\/a> emails<\/b> at scale, customizing paragraphs<\/a>, images<\/a>, links<\/a>, attachments<\/a>, and more.<\/p>\n 2. <\/b>Schedule<\/b><\/a> mail merge email campaigns<\/b> to go out at the right time to maximize recipient engagement.<\/p>\n 3. Access <\/b>campaign reports<\/b><\/a> inside your Gmail inbox folder to gauge the performance of your mail merge emails.<\/p>\n 4. Send <\/b>automated follow-up <\/b>emails<\/b><\/a> to boost your reply rate.<\/p>\nMail Merge in Outlook: Table of Contents<\/h2>\n
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What Is a Mail Merge?<\/h2>\n
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How to Perform a Mail Merge in Outlook<\/h2>\n
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Prepare Your Email Content in Microsoft Word<\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\nSet Up Your Mail Merge Data in Microsoft Excel<\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\nLink The Mailing List With The Email Message<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/image30-1.png\")
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<\/p>\nPreview and Finish the Mail Merge<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/image1-2.png\")
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<\/p>\nSend the Mail Merge Messages<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/image25-2-1024x589.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/image38-1-1024x489.png\")
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<\/p>\nLimitations of Performing Mail Merges in Outlook<\/h2>\n
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Why Gmail Is a Better Mail Merge Tool than Outlook<\/h2>\n
1. Won’t Break the Bank<\/h3>\n
2. No Desktop App Required<\/h3>\n
3. Streamlined Mail Merge Process<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/image2-2.png\")
<\/p>\nHow to Send a Mail Merge in Gmail with GMass<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/image39-3.png\")
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<\/p>\n{<\/code> in your email and the list of available merge tags will appear.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.gmass.co\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/image21-1.png\")
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