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In case your Workspace version helps it, it’s possible you’ll mail merge from Gmail utilizing a Google Sheet as your knowledge supply. This implies you possibly can create an e-mail that takes {custom} fields from a spreadsheet and insert them into particular person emails to personalize your message. Mail merge works nicely for custom-made suggestions, reminders or renewal messages.

Create a mail merge

To create a mail merge, you want a Google account with a supported version of Workspace: Particular person, Enterprise Commonplace or Plus, Enterprise Commonplace or Plus, Schooling Plus and Nonprofits.

You must verify along with your Google Workspace administrator to find out how mail merge has been configured in your account. An administrator could enable or stop entry to mail merge through a setting within the Admin Console: Apps | Google Workspace | Gmail | Person Settings | Mail Merge. In some instances, this setting should still present as Multi-send. The administrator could modify this setting both for the whole group or for particular organizational items.

Moreover, by default, some Workspace editions prohibit mail merge to inside recipients solely; a Workspace administrator could select to permit sending a mail merge to exterior e-mail addresses. In all instances, the amount of Gmail messages you ship should stay inside the sending limits of your version.

As soon as you already know you may have entry to mail merge and know to whom it’s possible you’ll ship (i.e., inside solely or exterior addresses), open Chrome on a desktop-class pc, register to your Workspace account and comply with the sequence beneath.

Configure your Google Sheet

First, you’ll have to have a Google Sheet that accommodates your recipient e-mail addresses, together with another {custom} knowledge you want to embody in your merge. One strategy to get hold of your supply sheet could possibly be to export a set of information from a database reminiscent of Salesforce after which import your file (e.g., .csv or .xlsx format) into Google Sheets.

As with most merge knowledge sources, Row 1 of your sheet ought to include the sector identify headers reminiscent of First Identify, Final Identify, Greenback Quantity, Date and Date Format Instance (Determine A). Be certain your discipline names use normal characters and numbers relatively than particular symbols.

Determine A

Assessment your supply knowledge to make sure that each discipline you plan to merge has correct data; specifically, verify that each one names are appropriate. Sending an e-mail the place you merge the incorrect identify could immediate folks to both delete your e-mail or report it as spam.

In case your Google Sheet has a number of tabs of sheets displayed alongside the underside, be sure to maneuver the sheet with the supply knowledge to the primary tab. One strategy to make this transfer is to click on on a tabbed sheet identify after which drag to reposition it. When merging, the system attracts discipline names and knowledge solely from the sheet on the primary tab.

Provoke the merge in Gmail

Open Gmail and choose Compose to create a brand new e-mail. Then, each time the cursor is in any of the handle fields (e.g., To, Cc or Bcc), it’s possible you’ll choose the mail merge icon, which is a picture of two folks with a + image (Determine B). As soon as chosen, verify the field to allow Mail Merge mode. When lively, the accent colours change and the message “You’re Utilizing Mail Merge” shows.

Determine B

Subsequent, select the Add From A Spreadsheet choice from the mail merge menu; it will deliver up a Google Drive interface that means that you can navigate to the Google Sheet you want to use as your mail merge recipient checklist knowledge supply. Choose the sheet you ready earlier, after which select the Insert button (Determine C).

Determine C

The system will ask you to specify the proper knowledge to make use of for every recipient’s e-mail handle and first and final identify fields (the final identify discipline is optionally available) (Determine D). Choose the corresponding columns out of your Google Sheet and choose End. A small icon of your spreadsheet will show because the recipient within the To: discipline in your mail merge e-mail.

Determine D

Fill within the topic line of your e-mail as you’ll usually with any e-mail you ship.

Personalize communication with {custom} fields

Enter the physique textual content of your e-mail. You could select a structure, add hyperlinks, modify formatting and insert emoji, as in any e-mail. When you intend to supply a file, reminiscent of a PDF with a mail merge, the very best follow can be to incorporate a hyperlink to the file on Google Drive relatively than inserting the merchandise as an attachment.

Sort @ to show out there mail merge tags out of your Google Sheet (Determine E) after which choose any merchandise from the checklist to insert it into the e-mail. The system consolidates names right into a single lowercase string, which turns a column titled Greenback Quantity right into a mail merge tag of @dollaramount, for instance.

Determine E

The inserted knowledge retains the formatting in your Google Sheet, as proven by the @date and @dateformatexample fields within the pattern sheet in Determine A. Within the first case, the / separator divides the month, day and yr, whereas within the latter, the spreadsheet knowledge was formatted to show with a full month in textual content, adopted by a numerical date, a comma after which the yr. So be sure to switch the format of the content material in your Google Sheet to replicate the presentation you need in your mail merge.

Test earlier than you ship

When you may have fastidiously reviewed your content material for errors, choose the Proceed button. A immediate with three choices shows: Cancel, Ship Preview and Ship All (Determine F).

Determine F

Every of those choices does just about what you’ll anticipate.

If you wish to return to modifying your e-mail, choose Cancel. Ship All triggers the merge and completes the method. Most often, it’s best to first choose Ship Preview, which sends a pattern merged e-mail to your Gmail inbox (Determine G). Test this preview for errors; as soon as you might be sure all data is as you want, repeat the method and choose Ship All to merge and ship your mass e-mail.

Determine G

Message or point out me on Mastodon (@awolber) to let me understand how you employ Google Sheets and Gmail mail merge capabilities in your group.