Establishing, Editing, and Filtering Data Sources

The first step in creating mass mailings is determining the data sources needed. These documents will be edited as necessary for mail merge.

Planning is key in any undertaking. As documents are created for mass mailings or distributions, it is important to determine the data sources needed so that documents can be customized to portray a message. After those sources are determined, they can be refined as needed.

The data source is a collection of variable information used in a mail merge. The data can be obtained from a contact list in Outlook, an Excel file, or added directly while performing the task in a program with the assistance of the Wizard feature.

Determining the field names is a good place to begin as you review documents that are typically sent in a mass mailing. Creating a list of commonly used field names for documents your company frequently utilizes can assist in productivity efforts as the mail merge feature is employed.

As documents are merged, check to ensure data sources have not changed. If it is determined an employee or client’s name or address has changed, the edit can be made easily once the data sources are displayed.

Mail Merge Recipients
This is the list of recipients that will be used in your merge. Use the options below to add to or change your list. Use the checkboxes to add or remove recipients from the merge. When your list is ready, click OK.

Shown are examples of names and addresses of mail merge recipients.

The recipient list can be refined by applying one or more of the options in the table below.

Takeaway

Data sources consist of a collection of variable information. Many of these variables might include values that will change such as a phone number, address, or last name. It is important to check the data prior to performing a merge so that all documents have the correct customized information. Application programs include several refining options that will permit users to make updates prior to the merge. Take advantage of the refining options to ensure your data is valid.

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