Mail merge in Outlook sends the same email to a list of people with each person's name, company, or other details filled in automatically
Outlook does not have a built-in mail merge feature the way Word does. Instead, you use Word to create the merge template, then Outlook sends the finished emails. The process takes about ten minutes to set up, and once you have done it once, the steps are the same every time.
You will need three things: a Word document with your email text and merge fields (like <<FirstName>>), an Excel spreadsheet or Outlook contacts folder with the names and addresses you want to send to, and Outlook open on your computer. The merge happens in Word, but Outlook delivers the emails.
This is different from a mailing list or group email. A group email shows everyone's address to everyone else. A mail merge sends individual emails — each person sees only their own name and address, and the email looks like it was written just for them.
Key Takeaways
- Mail merge in Outlook requires you to create the template in Word first, then use Word's mail merge feature to send through Outlook.
- Your data source can be an Excel spreadsheet, an Outlook contacts folder, or a CSV file — the spreadsheet must have column headers that match your merge field names.
- Merge fields like <<FirstName>> and <<Company>> are inserted in Word and replaced with actual data from your list when you send.
- You can preview how each email will look before sending, and you can choose to send to only some people on your list.
- Outlook must be your default email program on your computer for the merge to work.
Prepare your data in Excel or Outlook contacts
Start with the list of people you want to send to. The easiest source is an Excel spreadsheet with one row per person. The first row must contain column headers — these become your merge field names. For example, if your first column is called "FirstName", you will later insert a merge field called <<FirstName>> in your Word template.
Common column headers are FirstName, LastName, Email, Company, Title, and Address. You can add any columns you need. Make sure the Email column contains valid email addresses — the merge will not work if this column is empty or misspelled for any row.
If you already have contacts in Outlook, you can use those instead. Open Outlook, go to People, and create a new folder or use an existing one. Add or verify that each contact has an email address filled in. Word will pull from whichever folder you select during the merge setup.
Create your email template in Word
Open a new Word document. Type the email exactly as you want it to appear, including the subject line at the top. For example:
Subject: Special offer for <> customersDear <>,We have a new product that might interest <>. I wanted to reach out personally because your team has always been a valued partner.Best regards,Your Name
The merge fields — the parts in double angle brackets like <<FirstName>> — tell Word where to insert data from your spreadsheet. When you run the merge, Word replaces <<FirstName>> with the actual first name from each row, <<Company>> with the company name, and so on.
Type the merge fields exactly as they appear in your spreadsheet headers, with the double angle brackets. If your spreadsheet column is "FirstName", the field must be <<FirstName>>, not <<first name>> or <<firstName>>. Word is case-sensitive with merge fields.
Insert merge fields into your Word template
With your template document open, place your cursor where you want the first merge field to appear. Go to the Mailings tab at the top of Word. Click Insert Merge Field, then select the field name from the dropdown list — for example, FirstName.
Word inserts the field in double angle brackets. Repeat this for every field you want to use. You can insert the same field multiple times if you need it in different places — for example, <<FirstName>> in the greeting and again in the closing.
Do not type the angle brackets yourself. Always use the Insert Merge Field button. If you type them by hand, Word will not recognize them as merge fields.
Connect your data source and preview the merge
Still in the Mailings tab, click Select Recipients. Choose "Use an Existing List" if your data is in Excel or a CSV file, or choose "Select from Outlook Contacts" if you are using Outlook contacts. Navigate to your file or folder and open it.
Word now knows where your data is. Click Preview Results to see how the first email will look — the merge fields disappear and are replaced with real data from the first row of your spreadsheet. Use the arrow buttons to scroll through and check a few more rows. If something looks wrong, close the preview, fix your template or data, and try again.
If you do not want to send to everyone on your list, click Edit Recipient List. A dialog opens showing every row. Uncheck the boxes next to any rows you want to skip. This is useful if you want to test with just a few people first.
Send the merged emails through Outlook
In the Mailings tab, click Finish & Merge, then select "Send Messages". A dialog appears asking which field contains the email addresses — select Email (or whatever your email column is called). Click OK.
Word creates individual emails in Outlook and places them in your Outbox. The emails are not sent yet — they are sitting in Outbox waiting for you to review them. Go to Outlook and open your Outbox folder. You will see one email for each person on your list, with their name and details filled in.
Open a few emails to make sure they look correct. If everything looks good, select all the emails in Outbox (Ctrl+A), then click Send. Outlook sends them all at once. If you spot a mistake, delete the emails from Outbox without sending, fix the template or data in Word, and run the merge again.
Troubleshoot common problems
If the Insert Merge Field button is grayed out, you have not selected a data source yet. Go back to Select Recipients and choose your Excel file or Outlook contacts folder first.
If the merge fields are not being replaced with actual data, check that the field names in your template match the column headers in your spreadsheet exactly — including capitalization and spacing. <<FirstName>> is not the same as <<firstname>> or <<First Name>>.
If Outlook does not open when you click Finish & Merge, Outlook may not be set as your default email program. Go to Windows Settings, search for "Default apps", and set Outlook as your default email application. Then try the merge again.
If emails are not appearing in your Outbox, check that your Email column in the data source contains valid email addresses with no extra spaces or typos. Word skips rows where the email field is empty or invalid.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a Gmail or Yahoo account instead of Outlook?
No. The mail merge feature in Word only works with Outlook as your email program. If you use Gmail or another web-based email, you will need to use a different approach, such as a third-party mail merge tool or Gmail's native features if available.
What if I want to send different emails to different groups of people?
Create separate Word templates for each group, each with its own data source. Run the merge once for each template. Alternatively, use the Edit Recipient List feature to uncheck the rows you do not want, then run the merge with only the selected recipients.
Can I add attachments to merged emails?
Not automatically through the mail merge feature. You can add a static attachment (the same file to everyone) by inserting it into your Word template before running the merge. For different attachments per person, you would need to send the emails manually or use a third-party tool.
Do I have to send the emails right away, or can I review them first?
You can review them first. The merged emails sit in your Outlook Outbox until you send them. Open Outlook, check the Outbox folder, open individual emails to verify they look correct, and send them when you are ready. You can also delete them from Outbox without sending if you need to make changes.
What happens if I make a mistake in the template after I have already sent some emails?
The emails that were already sent cannot be changed. For future sends, fix the template in Word and run the merge again with a fresh batch of recipients. Keep a copy of your template for future use so you do not have to rebuild it from scratch.