1 - Introduction ~5 mins
Welcome
You already built the two pieces of a mail merge: a recipient list and a letter template with merge fields. Today you finish the job. You will run the merge, preview each letter, finish to a new document, export a PDF, and spot-check every page so a real recipient would never see a broken line or a missing name.
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
- Run a mail merge and preview individual merged documents
- Finish the merge to a new document and export a PDF batch
- Spot-check layout problems across merged pages
Missing Part 1 files? Use the class sample pair {{code:sm1_doc4_mailmerge_source_sample}} and {{code:sm1_doc4_mailmerge_letter_sample}} in {{code:sm1/}} for the guided task. You can rebuild your own list later and still bank today's practice PDF.
Warm-up
Imagine five letters land on five different desks. One says "Dear ," with a blank where the name should be. Another wraps a long address across three messy lines. What would that tell each recipient about you and your Something Real project?
2 - Key Concepts ~6 mins
Mail merge is only finished when every personalised page is correct. These four ideas keep the run clean.
| Concept | Why it matters | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Preview results — stepping through each merged record before you finish the merge | A blank name or a spilled address is cheap to fix in preview and expensive after you print or email | Record 3 shows "Dear ," because the FirstName cell was empty — you fill it in the source sheet before finishing |
| Finish to a new document, then PDF — create one batch file you can proof, then export PDF for your portfolio | A new document gives you a full set to check without sending anything yet; today's evidence is the PDF | Guided practice saves {{code:sm1_doc4_mailmerge_output_practice.pdf}}; your own work later uses {{code:sm1_doc4_mailmerge_output.pdf}} |
| Spot-check — reading every merged page for layout and data problems | One bad page can undermine the whole batch if a supervisor or club contact receives it | A long Work Experience supervisor address wraps into the greeting line — you shorten the source cell and re-run |
| Source and template stay linked until finish — the letter still reads live data until you complete the merge | Fixes belong in the source sheet or the template fields, not only in one finished copy | You correct a misspelt Centra contact name in the source, preview again, then finish once more |
Later, when sending for real: print or email finish options exist in desktop Word once the batch is clean. Today you stop at new document and PDF so nothing leaves the room unfinished.
Worked example: three Work Experience contacts
Word path (Aoife)
- Preview — Aoife opens her letter, turns on preview, and steps through three placement contacts.
- Fix Mark — Record 2 shows a blank FirstName; she types "Mark" in the source sheet and saves.
- Preview again — Record 2 now reads "Dear Mark," with a tidy organisation line.
- Finish — She finishes to a new document and scrolls every page once more.
- PDF (guided name) — She exports {{code:sm1_doc4_mailmerge_output_practice.pdf}} into {{code:sm1/03_finished/}} and keeps the editable files. Independent practice later uses the shorter name without _practice: {{code:sm1_doc4_mailmerge_output.pdf}}.
Google Docs path (same three contacts)
- Working copy — Make a copy of the sample letter as {{code:sm1_doc4_mailmerge_batch_working}}.
- Fill row 2 — Type FirstName, LastName, Organisation, Role (and any other fields) from the first contact row; check greeting / organisation / role / no leftover labels.
- Next pages — Insert a page break, paste the template body again, fill from row 3, then repeat for row 4.
- PDF — Spot-check all pages, download PDF, rename to {{code:sm1_doc4_mailmerge_output_practice.pdf}}, move into {{code:sm1/03_finished/}}.
3 - Step-by-step Task ~18 mins
Run the mail merge on the class sample (three Work Experience contacts). Preview every record, fix the source if needed, finish to a new document, spot-check, and save the practice PDF. Use only the sample files in this step — your own Something Real contacts come in independent practice.
First previews often look wrong — that is normal. Fix the sheet, not the finished letter, and the whole batch improves.
Which path? Your teacher will say at the start of this task whether you use desktop Word (Mailings) or the Google Docs manual path. Chromebook users without desktop Word follow the Google steps.
4 - Common Issues ~3 mins
Common Issues
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| Word Online has no Mailings tab, or Preview Results / Finish is greyed out | Click {{btn:Open in Desktop App}} and run Mailings in classic Word. On a Chromebook-only setup, switch to the Google manual path or use a classroom machine that has desktop Word |
| Preview shows field codes like «FirstName» instead of real names | Click Preview Results again, or use {{menu:Select Recipients -> Use an Existing List}} and confirm you chose the sheet that holds the header row plus data rows |
| One letter has a blank greeting or missing organisation | Open the source spreadsheet, fill the empty cell, save, then preview or refill that record again before finishing |
| A long address or role title spills into the next line and looks broken | Shorten the source text, adjust the letter layout, or move that detail onto its own line, then check the page again |
| Google Docs has no Mailings tab | Use the manual path: {{menu:File -> Make a copy}} of the sample letter, fill each page from one sheet row, insert a page break, paste the template body for the next contact, run the mini checklist, then {{menu:File -> Download -> PDF document}} |
| After a manual fill, a placeholder is still visible on one page | Find that page, compare it to the matching sheet row, type over the leftover placeholder, then download the PDF again |
| PDF saved as document.pdf in Downloads | Rename it to {{code:sm1_doc4_mailmerge_output_practice.pdf}} (guided) or {{code:sm1_doc4_mailmerge_output.pdf}} (own work) and move it into {{code:sm1/03_finished/}} |
| I finished the merge but cannot find the PDF evidence | Export or download the finished batch again, rename it correctly, and save it inside {{code:sm1/03_finished/}} |
5 - Independent Practice ~20 mins
Independent Practice
Same path as guided practice, but with your own files. Work through this checklist:
- Open your own {{code:sm1_doc4_mailmerge_source.xlsx}} and {{code:sm1_doc4_mailmerge_letter.docx}} from {{code:Project_Portfolio}} (not the sample pair).
- You need at least three contact rows. If a row is only for practice, label it clearly in the sheet (for example put Practice in the Role column).
- If your own source is still incomplete, copy three rows from the sample, replace them with real project names you know, then continue.
- Preview or check every recipient (Word Mailings or Docs manual fill). Fix problems in the source sheet first.
- Finish to a new document (Word: Finish & Merge → new document) or complete the Docs manual fill with page breaks, then spot-check each page (greeting / organisation / role / no leftover labels or field codes).
- Save the finished batch as {{code:sm1_doc4_mailmerge_output.pdf}} in {{code:sm1/03_finished/}}. This is the portfolio keeper — do not overwrite {{code:sm1_doc4_mailmerge_output_practice.pdf}}.
- {{code:sm1_doc4_mailmerge_output.pdf}} is saved in {{code:sm1/03_finished/}} (separate from the practice PDF)
- At least three contacts are included; practice-only rows are labelled in the source
- Every merged page shows a complete greeting and the correct project-specific details
- No page has an obvious layout break, cut-off line, or leftover field code or placeholder
- You can point to at least one fix you made after checking a record
If time is tight: keep the practice PDF banked and get your own merge started with at least one clean own page. The keeper PDF {{code:sm1_doc4_mailmerge_output.pdf}} is still the hard target before you leave.
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