How do I set up a spreadsheet for a mail merge.
Mail merges can be a lifesaver when you’re dealing with a list of contacts and want to personalize letters, invitations, or emails. The process involves creating a template document with placeholders and then filling those placeholders with data from a spreadsheet. This guide walks you through setting up a spreadsheet for a mail merge in either Excel and Numbers, with easy-to-follow steps so you can breeze through your next project.
Excel
Numbers
Define Your Data Fields
- Identify the data you’ll need: The first step in setting up a spreadsheet for a mail merge is deciding what information you’ll need in each document. Common fields include:
- First Name
- Last Name
- Email (if using for email blast as well as printing)
- Address
- City
- State/Province
- Zip/Postal Code
- Additional personalized content like job title, company, etc.
- Create column headers:
- In the first row of your spreadsheet, enter each field’s name in a separate column. For example, your headers might look like:
| First Name | Last Name | Address, | City | State | Zip Code | Email | - These headers serve as the “placeholders” for your mail merge and must be consistent throughout the spreadsheet.
- In the first row of your spreadsheet, enter each field’s name in a separate column. For example, your headers might look like:
The layout below is created using columns for first and last name.
This layout is created with different column formats for additional address info.
