Mail merge creates one personalised letter, certificate or label for every row in an Excel list. Keep the names and details in Excel, write the document once in Word, and Word fills in each person’s details.
Step 1: Prepare the Excel list
- Put headings in row 1, such as Name, Course, Date, Email.
- One person per row, no blank rows, no merged cells.
- Save and close the workbook.
Step 2: Start the merge in Word
- Open or write the letter or certificate in Word.
- Go to Mailings › Start Mail Merge and choose Letters.
- Click Select Recipients › Use an Existing List, pick the Excel file and the sheet, and tick First row of data contains column headers.
Step 3: Insert merge fields
Click where a name should go and choose Insert Merge Field › Name. Repeat for the other details. Fields appear as «Name».
Tip: Click Edit Recipient List to untick people or filter the list, for example only one course.
Step 4: Preview and finish
- Click Preview Results and use the arrows to check a few records.
- Click Finish & Merge › Edit Individual Documents › All to create one document with every letter, ready to check and print.
- Or choose Print Documents or Send Email Messages (needs Outlook).
Fix numbers and dates
Mail merge sometimes shows 45231 instead of a date, or too many decimals. Press Alt + F9 to see the field codes and add a format switch, then press Alt + F9 again:
| Field code | Shows |
|---|---|
{ MERGEFIELD Date \@ "dd-MMM-yyyy" } |
23-Oct-2026 |
{ MERGEFIELD Fees \# "#,##0.00" } |
12,500.00 |
{ MERGEFIELD Fees \# "₹#,##0" } |
₹12,500 |
FAQ
Can I mail merge certificates?
Yes. Design the certificate in Word, then insert the Name and Course fields where they should appear.
Can I send emails with attachments?
Not with the built-in mail merge. It sends the merged text as the email body only.
The merge shows the wrong sheet. What happened?
Click Select Recipients › Use an Existing List again and pick the right sheet.