How do I set up a spreadsheet for a mailing list in Excel or Number?

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

1. 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.
2. Create column headers:
   1. 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 |
      
   2. These headers serve as the “placeholders” for your mail merge and must be consistent throughout the spreadsheet.

The layout below  is created using columns for first and last name.

This layout is created with different column  formats  for additional address info.