Merge to Emails

How to merge to emails using Google Docs?

Mail merge to emails (powered by Gmail) using a Google document as your email body template or as a personalized PDF attachment.

Video tutorial

Watch this quick tutorial or follow the step-by-step instructions below to find out how to mail merge from Google Docs to emails.

Introduction to best mail merge for Gmail

Mail Merge add-on is free to install, works from four Google Workspace apps, benefits from free 24/7 support, and it is packed with useful features that make mail merging easy. All of this means that Mail Merge is the best mail merge add-on available.

The steps below detail:

Step 1: Type mail merge template

Type the Google Docs mail merge template for the online mail merge to emails.

Step 2: Start Mail Merge add-on

Start Mail Merge add-on by clicking on Extensions > Mail Merge > Start to open the Mail Merge sidebar.

Step 3: Select source data

From the Mail Merge sidebar, click on Open Spreadsheet, and then select the Google Sheets data file that is going to be used to mail merge to Gmail.

This can be a file from Google Drive, Shared Drives, or any other file you have access to.

Google Contacts can be imported into a Google sheet by following the steps in this article.

Step 4: Select Google sheet

From the Sheet drop-down menu, select the tab in the Google sheet that is going to be used to mail merge to Gmail.

Step 5: Check source data 

Make sure the first row in the Google sheet contains column names (Name, Address, Email, etc.). These column names are used as *|merge fields|* in the Google Docs mail merge template.

To be able to mail merge to Gmail, at least one row of data is needed under the column names.

Step 6: Insert and format text or *|merge fields|*

Insert *|merge fields|* into the Google Docs mail merge template by clicking in the desired location within the template, selecting a field from the Merge Field drop-down menu, and clicking on Add.

Repeat this step for all required *|merge fields|*.

*|Merge fields|* are the column names found in the first row of data in your Google sheet. You can change the (font, color, size, etc.) of the *|merge fields|* in the Google Docs mail merge template in the same way as regular text. The email mail merge template can be further customized by adding images, file attachments, and hyperlinks.

Step 7: Configure mail merge for emails

Click on Show Email Settings and:

The mail merge settings can be further customized by scheduling emails, sending emails on behalf of someone else, or sending emails over SMTP.

Step 8: Mail merge emails

Select from the following three options, and then click on Merge to start the mail merge process:

A. Merge to a Test Email: This gives a good idea of how the mail merge appears to recipients, before sending emails. It merges the first row of data in the Google sheet (that is row 2 since row 1 only contains column headers).

B. Merge to Emails: This mail merges to Gmail and sends all of the emails straight away.

C. Merge to Gmail's Draft Folder: This mail merges to Gmail's draft folder and it allows the opportunity to check and edit the mail merge before it is sent.

Why the Quicklution Mail Merge add-on is the best mail merge for Google Docs:


Check out the other add-ons of Quicklution for Google Workspace, including Avery Label Merge add-on.