More of this Feature • Part 1: Preparing Your Data • Part 2: Setting up the Main Document • Part 3: Associating the Data Source • Part 4: Inserting Merge Fields • Part 6: Finalizing the Merge

Related Terms • Mail Merge • Data Source • Record • Excel

Related Resources • Word Tutorials • Intro to Mail Merge • Inserting Excel Data in a Word Document

Before we go on to previewing and printing your merged documents, a note about formatting: When inserting merge fields into a document, Word does not carry over the formatting of the data in the data source. If you want to apply special formatting such as italics, bold, or underline, you must do so in Word. If you are viewing the document with fields, you must select the double arrows on both sides of the field to which you want to apply the formatting. If you are viewing the merged data in the document, simply highlight the text you wish to change. Remember that any change will carry throughout all the merged documents, not just the individual one.


Previewing the Merged Documents

To preview your merged documents, click the View Merged Data button on the mail merge toolbar. This button works like a toggle switch, so if you want to go back to viewing just the fields and not the data they contain, click it again.



You can navigate through the merged documents by using the navigational buttons on the mail merge toolbar. They are, from left to right: First Record, Previous Record, Go To Record, Next Record, Last Record



I recommend that before you merge your documents, you preview them all, or as many as you can to verify that everything merged correctly – pay particular attention to things such as punctuation and spacing around the merged data.



Next: Finalizing the Merge
Previous: Inserting Merge Fields
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