Quick answer: In desktop Word, connect the document to a recipient list under Mailings > Select Recipients. Then click where personalized text belongs and choose Mailings > Insert Merge Field. Pick a field from a column in your list, preview several records, and finish the merge only after checking the output.
Prepare and connect the data
- Create a list with clear column headings such as First_Name, Last_Name, and Address. Put one recipient per row. If using Excel, check dates, currency, and postal codes before connecting, since their formatting can change in a merge.
- Open the main Word document. On the Mailings tab, choose Start Mail Merge and the appropriate document type, such as Letters.
- Choose Select Recipients and connect the Excel sheet or other supported list. If Insert Merge Field is dimmed, confirm that the recipient list is connected.
Insert and preview merge fields
- Place the cursor where a person’s value should appear.
- Choose Insert Merge Field and select the matching column name. Repeat for each value. A field is a placeholder, not the final person’s data.
- Choose Preview Results and use the next and previous record controls. Check at least a few recipients, especially names, blank fields, dates, and addresses.
- When the preview is correct, choose Finish & Merge. Edit Individual Documents creates a document you can inspect before printing or sharing; other choices include printing and, where configured, email.
If a field name is missing, inspect the data source’s column heading and reconnect the correct sheet. If the merged number or date format looks wrong, correct the source format or use the appropriate field formatting; adding spaces around the placeholder will not fix a data-format problem.
See what an individual field does
Suppose your Excel sheet has First_Name and Last_Name columns. In your letter, you might type Dear , insert the First_Name field, type a space, insert the Last_Name field, and finish with a comma. The template will show something like Dear «First_Name» «Last_Name», while Preview Results should show a real greeting such as Dear Taylor Morgan,. Type punctuation and spaces in the document; Word substitutes the data only where you inserted a field.
Choose individual fields or a combined block
Use Insert Merge Field when you need exact control over a sentence or custom column. Address Block and Greeting Line assemble several fields for common letter layouts. If a combined block shows the wrong values, check its Match Fields mapping against your spreadsheet headings. If a custom column is absent from the menu, verify that you connected the intended worksheet and look under database fields where Word offers that choice.
Check the recipients before finishing
Preview the first record and several later records, including one with an empty optional value. Use the next and previous controls or Find Recipient to inspect a specific entry. In Edit Recipient List, filter or uncheck anyone who should not receive the letter. Finally, use Finish & Merge > Edit Individual Documents and inspect the generated pages for blank lines and awkward spacing before printing or sending.
Merge field or fillable form field?
A merge field pulls data from a connected recipient list. Use it when you already have rows of names or addresses and want Word to generate a personalized letter for each row. The person receiving that letter does not choose the merge value while filling out the document.
A fillable form field is a content control that a person completes in a Word document. Use one when you need recipients to type their own names, select a session, or tick a box. Those controls are on the Developer tab rather than the Mailings tab. See our guide to fillable fields in Word for a worked form example. If your aim is to personalize documents from an Excel list, stay with mail merge and preview multiple rows before finishing.
For the full workflow, see our mail merge guide. Microsoft documents inserting merge fields and using an Excel list.
Matt has been writing about Microsoft Windows and other Microsoft products since the days of Windows XP. He spends much of his time writing for sites like WindowBrain.com