How to do mail merge from excel to word labels

Mail merge from Excel to Word labels allows you to automatically populate labels with data stored in an Excel spreadsheet. This process saves time when creating mass mailings, product labels, or address labels.

Step 1: Prepare Your Excel Spreadsheet

1. Open Excel and ensure your data is organized in a tabular format.

2. Include column headers in the first row. For example:

   • First Name

   • Last Name

   • Address

   • City

   • State

   • Zip Code

3. Ensure there are no blank rows or columns in the data range.

4. Save the Excel file in a recognizable location, preferably as .xlsx.

Step 2: Open Microsoft Word and Set Up Labels

1. Open Word.

2. Go to the Mailings tab.

3. Click Start Mail Merge → Labels.

4. In the Label Options dialog:

   • Select the label vendor (e.g., Avery).

   • Select the specific product number that matches your labels.

5. Click OK to create a blank document formatted for your labels.

Step 3: Connect Word to Your Excel Data

1. In the Mailings tab, click Select Recipients → Use an Existing List.

2. Browse to the Excel file and select it.

3. Choose the correct sheet from your workbook that contains your label data.

4. Ensure the checkbox First row of data contains column headers is selected.

5. Click OK.

Step 4: Insert Merge Fields

1. Click the first label in the document.

2. In the Mailings tab, click Insert Merge Field.

3. Choose the fields from your Excel sheet that you want on the label (e.g., First Name, Last Name, Address).

4. Format the label as desired, including line breaks, font size, and style.
   Example layout:<<First Name>> <<Last Name>>

   <<Address>>

   <<City>>, <<State>> <<Zip Code>>

5. After formatting the first label, click Update Labels to copy the format and merge fields to all labels.

Step 5: Preview and Complete the Merge

1. Click Preview Results in the Mailings tab to see the data filled into the labels.

2. Use the arrows to scroll through multiple records and ensure formatting is correct.

3. Click Finish & Merge → Print Documents to print the labels.

4. Select All to print all labels, or specify particular records.

Step 6: Save Your Mail Merge Document

1. Save the Word document to retain the mail merge setup.

2. You can reopen it later to update the Excel source and reprint labels.

Tips for Accuracy

1. Ensure Excel column headers match exactly the names used in Word merge fields.

2. Avoid merged cells in Excel as they can disrupt the mail merge.

3. Test print one sheet of labels before printing the entire batch to prevent errors.

This process integrates Excel data seamlessly into Word labels, allowing efficient batch label creation with minimal manual entry.