Creating a merge document and file

After reading the article about what Addo Merge is, this guide will show you how to prepare your merge document and merge file.

With Addo Merge you have the possibility to send personal documents or letters with the same wording in bulk sendings.

 

 

Guide to building a merge document and merge file
The difference between a merge document and merge file
Creating merge fields in Microsoft Word
Creating a merge file in Microsoft Excel
Connecting a merge file for merge fields in Microsoft Word 

 

The difference between a merge document and merge file

To create transactions with Addo Merge, you need two files: a word document and a .csv file. The Word document is used as a merge document, where the information from the merge file (csv) is retrieved. This involves, for example, the name, address or similar of the recipient. 

 

Creating merge fields in Microsoft Word

First, create the word document to be merged with the merge file. In the screenshot below, the firstName, lastName, addressLine1, postCode and cityName are manually entered just to prepare the document for the merge fields with the merge file later.

 

 

1. Enter the information you want to merge with the merge file in your Word document. The example is based on first name, last name, address, postcode and city - but in principle the information can be anything. Note that the {} characters are not required.
2. Save the document so you can easily find it again.

 

Once you have defined the desired information in the Word document, go back to Addo and press the "Mail merge" function. Here you will encounter the options below, which involve:

 

 

1. Select "Signing template"
2. Choose a template
3. Upload your word document
4. Click "Download CSV template".

The CSV template is the merge file to be merged with the merge document.

 

Creating a merge file in Microsoft Excel

To customize your Word document for each signer, prepare your merge file. It is this file that defines what information to put in the merge fields of the Word document. The merge file will be illustrated in Excel.

 

Open the CSV template that was downloaded in Addo - now you need to fill in all the relevant information so that the Word document can retrieve the information from the merge file.

 

1. Addo will automatically generate the fields via the template marked in orange, which define the information needed to send documents through the system. Insert the necessary information about your recipients.
2. Highlighted in blue is the information to manually CTRL-C/CTRL-V in from the merge document - that is, where the information should be inserted. Fill in relevant information as personalize the merge document.

Read this article to learn more about the predefined fields in Addo:

• Predefined fields (merge file)

 

Now the merge file just needs to be saved and closed so that our word file can capture the document. Name and save the file type in CSV (Commadelimited) somewhere where you can easily find it again, as we connect our files in Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel.

 

Once you have selected the path you want to save to, you will get the following message where you just need to click "Yes":

You may want to take a break from this article and follow the UTF-8 guide. This will ensure that your .csv file is saved in the correct format, which will be relevant when you later validate the merge files in Addo.

 

Connecting a merge file for merge fields in Microsoft Word

Now you have saved your merge file and you need to merge the .csv file in Microsoft Excel with the letter in Microsoft Word. To do this the merge document must be opened.

 

1. Click on the "Mailings" tab located in the top tab.
2. Click on "Start Mail Merge" and select "Step-by-Step Mail Merge Wizard". A step-by-step guide will appear on the right side.

The next steps are illustrated in a simple flow:

 

1. Select "Letters" and click next.
2. Select "Use the current document" and click next.
3. Select "Use an existing list" and click next.
4. Find and select the merge file that was created earlier - click "Open".
5. Then the "Mail Merge Recipients" window will appear and you will see the information that you have previously associated. Click on "OK".

 

1. Click on "Next: Preview your letters".
2. Click on "Next: Complete the merge".
3. Click and close the tab Mail Merge.

Now the merge document and the merge file are connected.

1. Select the reference you want to make variable and change its information from the merge file
2. In the top tab, now select "Insert Merge Field". Here all information from the .csv file will be available to change the information in the merge document.
3. The former {firstName} is replaced with firstName merge field, and by giving the variable "«»" this is now a merge field.

Once the fields are replaced with merge fields from the merge file, simply save the word file.

 

You can now upload the merge document and the merge file. Now go back to Addo in your browser. Here, select the new merge document with embedded merge fields and upload the new .csv file.