Mail Merge Documents In Google Docs

 

Mail merge is a process of creating customized documents, such as letters or emails, for multiple recipients using a single template document and a database of recipient information. This process is useful when you need to send personalized communication to a large number of recipients.

Google Docs provides a built-in tool, called "Mail Merge with Attachments," to perform mail merge. The tool allows you to merge information from a Google Sheets spreadsheet with a Google Docs document to create personalized letters or emails. Here's how to do mail merge with Google Docs:

Step 1: Create a New Google Doc Document

First, create a new Google Docs document for your mail merge. You can start with a blank document or use an existing template. The document should contain the text that will be the same for all recipients, such as the greeting and the body of the letter or email. You can insert placeholders, also known as merge fields, for personalized information from your spreadsheet.

For example, let's say you want to send an email to your customers about a new product launch. Your email template might look like this:

In this example, <<First Name>> and <<Product Name>> are placeholders for personalized information that will be filled in during the mail merge.

Step 2: Create a Google Sheets Spreadsheet

Next, create a new Google Sheets spreadsheet or use an existing one to store the recipient information for your mail merge. The spreadsheet should have a header row with the column names for the data you want to include in your merge, such as "First Name," "Last Name," "Email," and "Product Name". Enter your data in the rows below the header row.

For example:

Step 3: Install the Mail Merge with Attachments Add-On

To use the Mail Merge with Attachments add-on, first, install the add-on. Click on the "Add-ons" menu in Google Docs and select "Get add-ons". Search for "Mail Merge with Attachments," and click the "+Free" button to install the add-on.

Step 4: Set Up the Mail Merge

After installing the add-on, click on the "Add-ons" menu in Google Docs, select "Mail Merge with Attachments" > "Create Merge Template" to start setting up your mail merge.

In the sidebar that appears on the right side of the screen, select your Google Sheets spreadsheet from the dropdown menu and choose the sheet containing your data. Then select the column names that correspond to the merge fields in your Google Docs document.

Select "First Name" for the <<First Name>> merge field, "Last Name" for the <<Last Name>> merge field, "Email" for the <<Email>> merge field, and "Product Name" for the <<Product Name>> merge field.

Step 5: Preview the Mail Merge Result

Preview your mail merge by clicking the "Preview" button in the sidebar. This will show you a sample of the merged document with the data from your spreadsheet. You should see the client's first name, product name and the client’s email inserted into the template.

Step 6: Get The Mail Merge Result

If you're happy with the preview, click the "Send" button in the sidebar to send the email to your clients. Each client will receive a personalized email with their first name and the discount code inserted into the template.

To see the final merged result, go to your email inbox and check the sent messages. You should see a copy of the email sent to each client with their personalized information inserted into the template.