How to mail merge in Outlook using Word and an Excel list
Send the same email to many people with each one's name and details filled in. You build the mail merge in Word, pull recipients from an Excel sheet, and Word sends the emails through classic Outlook.
By Nur Islam- 3:51 video
- 6 steps
- 295.1K views
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Small business owners and admins who send the same announcement or pitch to dozens of people either BCC everyone (impersonal) or copy, paste and edit each email by hand. Outlook has no mail merge button of its own, so many people do not know it can be done.
Mail merge is not a feature inside Outlook itself. You write the email in Word, connect it to your Excel contact list, replace placeholder text with merge fields such as first name, and Word hands each personalized email to Outlook to send. In the video the letter has two placeholders that become the contact's full name and publication name.
This works with classic Outlook. Full Word mail merge is not supported in New Outlook, and the built-in method cannot add attachments.
What you need
- Microsoft Word and classic Outlook (desktop) on the same computer
- An Excel sheet with a header row, including an email address column
- The email text in a Word document, with placeholders where personal details go
Step by step
0 of 6 done-
01
Prepare your Excel list and Word letter
In Excel, put one contact per row with column headers such as
First Name,Last Name,PublicationandEmail. In Word, write the email and mark the spots that change with placeholder text (the video usesxxx). -
02
Start the mail merge as email messages
In the Word document open the
Mailingstab, selectStart Mail Mergeand chooseE-mail Messages. -
03
Connect the Excel list
Select
Select Recipients>Use an Existing List, then open your Excel file. Pick the worksheet, keepFirst row of data contains column headersticked and selectOK. -
04
Insert the merge fields
Delete the first placeholder and leave the cursor there. Select
Insert Merge Fieldand chooseFirst_Name. Type a space, insertLast_Name, then type a comma. Replace the second placeholder with thePublicationfield the same way.Always place the cursor exactly where the field should go before inserting it.
-
05
Preview the results
Select
Preview Resultsto see the email with real data. Use the arrows to step through each contact and check the names and spacing. -
06
Send the emails through Outlook
Select
Finish & Merge>Send Email Messages.To: the email column (Word usually detects it)Subject line: your subjectMail format:HTMLSend records:All
Select
OK. Open Outlook and check the Outbox and then Sent Items: there is one separate email per contact, each with that person's details.
Tips and common problems
- Mail merge runs from Word, not Outlook. Word uses classic Outlook to send, so classic Outlook must be installed and set up with your account.
- Full Word and Excel mail merge is not supported in New Outlook. Use classic Outlook, or see the New Outlook workaround video.
- The built-in Word mail merge cannot send attachments. Separate videos cover workarounds.
- Keep the first row of your Excel sheet as headers, and tick First row of data contains column headers, so the field names appear in Insert Merge Field.
- Check the Outbox if emails do not appear in Sent Items right away. They may still be sending.
Related videos
Questions
Can you do a mail merge directly in Outlook?
Not from Outlook alone. You create the mail merge in Word with Mailings > Start Mail Merge > E-mail Messages, and Word sends the emails through classic Outlook.
Can I add an attachment to a Word mail merge email?
No. The standard Word to Outlook mail merge does not support attachments. You need a workaround such as Power Automate.
Does mail merge work in New Outlook?
Not the full Word and Excel mail merge shown here. This method needs classic Outlook.
Can I use Outlook contacts instead of Excel?
Yes. Under Select Recipients you can choose Outlook contacts instead of an existing Excel list.
