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How to create a Word for Mac merge document by using Excel data

Article ID: 275015 - View products that this article applies to.

This article was previously published under Q275015

SUMMARY

This article explains how to create a simple data merge (mail merge) by using data that is stored in a Microsoft Excel workbook. By following these instructions, you can create a form letter (main document), select the Excel data document, and merge the information from the two documents into a third document.

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MORE INFORMATION

The following is general information about the appropriate format for a Microsoft Excel worksheet that you can use as a data document in a simple Microsoft Word data merge.

Insert your data in the first worksheet in the Excel workbook. The data can be in a named range; however, for this simple merge, it's best if the worksheet contains only the data for the merge.

Start the data in the first row of the first column. In the first row of data (the header row), insert the field names that will be used to refer to the various columns of data. The field names must be free of punctuation and must consist of a single word per field. Each column that contains data must have a field name at the top of that column.

Example:

   A1:FName B1:LName C1:Address1   D1:Address2
   A2:Jeff  B2:Smith C2:1401 A St. D2:Apt. 5

TIP: Remember that combining information from separate fields in a merge document is easy. However, separating information in a field is difficult. Therefore, when you create a data document, create as many fields as it is practical to create. For example, you may want to make the first name in a field separate from the last name, to make it easy to sort the records in the data document by last name. Keeping the first name and last name separate also makes it easy to use only the first name in a salutation.

After you create and save your data document in Microsoft Excel, follow these steps to create a form letter and perform a data merge.

Create the Main Document

To create the main document, follow these steps:

Start Microsoft Word 2001 by double-clicking the Microsoft Word icon.
In the Project Gallery, click Word Document.

The insertion point now is blinking in Document1. This indicates that Document1 is the active document.
On the Tools menu, click Data Merge Manager.

The Data Merge Manager appears on your screen.
In the Data Main Manager, click Create, and then click Form Letters.

Select the Data Source

To select the data source, follow these steps:

In the Data Merge Manager, click Get Data, and then click Open Data Source.
Locate and select the Excel file that contains your data, and then click Open. The Open Workbook dialog box may appear. If your data workbook has data only on Sheet 1, click OK. If your data is not on Sheet 1, select the sheet that contains your data, and then click OK. You can also specify a cell range, but we recommend that you have your merge data on a separate sheet that does not have any other data.

Edit the Main Document

The insertion point now is in Document1 (that is, Document1 is the active document), and the Data Merge Manager is displayed.

To edit the main document (Document1, in this case), follow these steps:

Type some text in the document.
Click where you want to insert the first field. In the Data Merge Manager, under Merge Field, drag the field name that you want to use into the main document.

Repeat steps 1 and 2 as many times as necessary to create the appropriate text and to insert the merge fields that you want in the main document.

NOTE: When you merge data, you can use as few data fields or as many data fields as you need to, and you can use them in any order. Also, each field can be used more than one time.
To save the main document, click Save or Save As on the File menu.

TIP: When you save the main document, use a name that identifies this document as a main document (for example, name the file "My Main Document"). Store the document in the same location (folder) as the data document.

Merge the Main Document and the Data Document

To merge the main document and the data document, click Merge To New Document in the Data Merge Manager. This creates a new document that contains the results of the merge. This new document can be printed, saved, or deleted without affecting either the main document or the data document.

TIP: After you create a simple merge that works correctly, you can change items in the main document, one at a time, to increase the complexity of the merge. To test the merge for errors, merge the data again after each change that you make.

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REFERENCES

For more information about data merge, click the Office Assistant, type data merge data, click Search, and then click a topic to it.

Note If the Assistant is hidden, click the Office Assistant button on the standard toolbar.

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