Use this guide to learn mail merge with Google Sheets. Mail merge helps send many personal emails at once and saves time. Think about sending many birthday or sale emails but not writing all of them. Google Sheets is easy to use and works well with Gmail for this.
This guide will show you how to do this step-by-step. You begin by putting your information in Google Sheets, so it is neat and ready. Then you will make a Gmail email that has special spots for different information. After that we look at mail merge tools and I will help you add and set them up. You end by using mail merge to send your emails quickly!
Setting up data in Google Sheets
You start mail merge by naming your Google Sheet. Name your sheet something easy to remember like “Email List for Sales” or “People to Contact.” When you give your sheet a good name, it is easier to work if you have lots of projects.
Now, you need to put your data in order. This is important for mail merge to work well. First, decide what details you need, like First Name, Last Name, and Email. You might also add their company or job if needed for your emails.
Then, make column headers in your Google Sheet for these details. Your headers need to be simple, so you do not get confused later. Common headers are First Name, Last Name, Email, and Company.
These headers will be placed in your email template to make adding personal details easy.
Inputting or importing data
Put your data into the headers when you have set them up. You can add data by typing it into your Google Sheet. Typing the data yourself is hard work but it is very correct. This is good if you do not have much data.
You can also put in data from other files, like CSV files. This is good for lots of data or data from other programs. To add data, click on “File”. Then click on “Import”. Do what the instructions say to pick your CSV file. Soon, your data will be in the Google Sheet under the headers.
Think of how a good spreadsheet can help. Each thing in the data can help you talk to people in a personal way. This makes your message work better. When you put in effort in the beginning, you will get more people talking back to you.
Drafting the email template
To start a successful mail merge, make a good email template in Gmail. Open Gmail and use the account from which you will send emails. Being logged in lets you use everything you need.
Click on “Compose” to start a new email. Make sure your email fits who you are writing to. You can use AI tools to write and check perfect mail. Choose words and a style they will like. A good subject line can make more people open the email.
Use placeholders like {{First Name}} and {{Last Name}} in your email. Placeholders make your email special for each person. Start your email with “Hello {{First Name}}.” This makes the person feel important and seen. Personal touches are important for getting people more involved and building a bond with your readers.
Your email’s main parts should be short but strong. Speak in easy and clear words to share your thoughts. Do not use difficult words, and write small paragraphs to keep the reader’s attention.
Save your email as a draft after you write it. Unfortunately, if deleted, it becomes very difficult to retrieve that email. This point is very important. You can press the save button or just close the writing window. Gmail will save your email for you. Be sure your email draft is just right because this is what will go to all the people without any more changes.
Make a good email template to improve how you talk to people. By making each email special, you tell the people they matter to you. This can make them get involved more and answer back more often. Think about what it can do when each personalized email gets to someone’s inbox. Small personal things can make big and important talks and good results.
Installing and setting up add-ons
To give your Google Sheets more power to merge emails, go to the add-ons. Click “Extensions” in your Google Sheets menu. Then go to “Add-ons” and pick “Get add-ons.” This opens the Google Workspace Marketplace. Here, you can find and add different add-ons to make your spreadsheet better.
Look for mail merge tools like “Mail Merge with Attachments” or “Yet Another Mail Merge.” These offer strong options for sending personalized emails. The search bar is on the top-right side. Just write the name of the tool you want and press enter. A list of add-ons will show up for you to look at and choose the best one.
After you pick the mail merge tool you like, start to install it. Click on the add-on you chose, and you will see a page with details and reviews. Click “Install” to start putting the add-on on your computer. Follow the steps to install which may include saying you agree to rules. Watch these steps carefully to make sure you know what the add-on can do.
Configuring the add-on with your data
Now that you have the add-on, you need to set it up with your data in Google Sheets. Go to the “Extensions” menu, pick your add-on, and open its settings. You will probably have to let the tool use certain things on your computer. Say yes to these so the tool can work with your data. This is important for the mail merge to work well.
After you let the add-on do what it needs, you have to match your spreadsheet columns to the email template. This makes sure the data in your sheet fits the right spots in the emails. Use what the add-on gives you to match the columns correctly. Doing this right means the names, email addresses, and other details will be right in the emails you send.
Running the mail merge
Open the add-on you need from the Extensions menu in Google Sheets. Go to “Extensions,” pick out your mail merge add-on, and start it. Doing this first is important so that your data changes into personalized emails without problems.
Choose the correct settings to have a good mail merge. First, pick the email template you wrote before from Gmail. Make sure to use the template that has slots for names like {{First Name}} and {{Last Name}}. This makes sure your emails are the same and speak to each person.
Then, check your list of emails. Look again at the information in your Google Sheet. Make sure all email addresses are correct and match the right names and details. If you make mistakes here, your emails might not seem personal. This can make your emails less powerful.
If you need to, change the email subject and body to fit the person you are sending it to and write emails for different groups in your audience, they might get more involved. Small changes can mean a lot. They show you understand what the person wants or needs.
Sending test email
Before you send emails to everyone, send a test email to yourself or a few people. This is when being careful is important. Look at the test emails to check if the placeholders are filled with the right information from your Google Sheet. This step is your last chance to check if your emails look right.
When you are happy with the test emails, you can send them to everyone. Start this by making sure all your settings are right in the add-on, and then press send. Doing this sends an email that feels special to each person on your list.
Conclusion
To merge mail with Google Sheets, follow these easy steps. First, get your data ready in Google Sheets. Make a new sheet and set it up with the right titles like First Name, Last Name, and Email. Put in your information carefully.
Then, write your email in Gmail and use placeholders for your data. Go to the Google Sheets add-ons menu and install a mail merge add-on. Make sure to give it the permissions it needs. Then, start the add-on and choose your settings. After that, do the mail merge. Before you send it to everyone, test it with a few emails. This makes sure all things work perfectly.
Google Sheets is very good for doing mail merge jobs. It is on the cloud, so you can use it from any place. This works very well with Gmail, and this makes sending personal emails easy.
It also lets many people work together well. Many can work on one spreadsheet at the same time. This keeps the data correct and the same. It is very useful for big projects with many people. Add-ons also make it easy to use, even if you do not know a lot about technology.