Merge to Certificates
How to merge presentations using Google Slides?
Mail merge to emails with a personalized PDF attachment based on a Google Slides template. This is ideal for sending certificates or for generating files for printing.
Video tutorial
Watch this quick tutorial or follow the step-by-step instructions below to find out how to mail merge certificate templates to Google Slides presentation files or how to mail merge to emails with PDF attachments.
Mail Merge add-on for Google Slides
Mail Merge add-on is free to install, works from four Google Workspace apps with free 24/7 support, and it is packed with useful features that make mail merging easy.Â
The steps below detail:
How to create a mail merge template for certificates in Google Slides
How to mail merge to Gmail with a personalized attachment based on Google Slides
How to mail merge certificate templates to Google Slides presentation files or merge to PDF from Google Slides
Step 1: Create mail merge templateÂ
Create your mail merge template in Google Slides.
Step 2: Start Mail Merge add-on
Start Mail Merge by clicking on Add-ons > 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 file from which you want to merge data.
This can be a file from your Google Drive, Shared Drives, or any other file you have access to.
You can import your Google Contacts 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 your Google Sheet that you want to merge data from.
Step 5: Check source data
Make sure the first row in your Google Sheet contains column names (Name, Address, Email, etc.). These column names are used as *|merge fields|* in your certificate template.
To be able to merge, you need to have at least one row of data under your column names.
Step 6: Insert and format text or *|merge fields|*
Insert *|merge fields|* into your Google Slides certificate 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 your Google Slides certificate template as you would for regular text.
Once you have inserted all of your *|merge fields|*, you have two options:
Option 1: Mail merge to emails with personalized PDF attachments
Option 2: Mail merge to Google Slides presentation files
Option 1: Mail Merge to emails with personalized PDF attachments
Overview
With this option:
Your Google Slides certificate template is used as the basis for your mail merge email attachment.
You can then create a mail merge template to be used as the basis for your email body.
You can personalize both your mail merge email attachment (including filenames) and your email body template (including subject field) to each recipient with *|merge fields|*.
When you merge your emails, Mail Merge add-on adds an attachment to each of your emails using your Google Slides certificate template (Mail Merge add-on attaches the file in PDF format).
Step 1: Configure emails
From the Mail Merge sidebar, click on Email Settings, and then:
From the Email To drop down menu, select the column containing the recipient's email address. Multiple emails can be used for each To receipent.
Type your Email Subject such as Certificate of Compliance. You can even insert a merge field into the email subject (e.g., Certificate of Compliance for *|Name|*).
You can further customize your mail merge email settings by sending emails on behalf of someone else.
Step 2: Create mail merge template
Click on Write Email Body to open the Email Body Template dialog box, where you can create the email body to which Mail Merge add-on attaches a PDF file attachment when you merge your emails.
Step 3: Type mail merge template
Type your email body template.
Step 4: Insert and format text or *|merge fields|*
Insert *|merge fields|* into your email body 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 your email body template as you would for regular text.
Step 5: Save Gmail mail merge template
Click on Save to apply changes.
Step 6: Set filename for mail merge attachments
Click on Set Filename to open the Attachment's Filename dialog box, where you can set the filename for your mail merge Gmail attachment.
Step 7: Choose between static filenames and *|merge field|* filenames for mail merge email attachments
Select an option from the drop-down menu to set the filename for your mail merge Gmail attachments:
Same for all emails sets a static filename that is the same for all mail merge attachments. Type a filename in the text box provided.
Merge from column sets a *|merge field|* filename that enables a different filename to be set for each mail merge attachment. Select a *|merge field|* from the drop-down menu.
Click on Save to apply the changes.
Static Filename
Merge Field Filename
Step 8: Merge certificates as Google Slides PDF attachments
Select one of the options below:
A. Merge to a Test Email: This gives you a good idea of how your emails appear to recipients, before sending emails. It merges the first row of data in your sheet (that is row 2 since row 1 only contains column headers).
B. Merge to Emails: This merges and send all of your emails straight away.
C. Merge to Gmail's Draft Folder: This gives you the opportunity to check and edit emails, before you send them.
Click on Merge to start the mail merge process.
Option 2: Mail Merge to Google Slides presentation files
Overview
With this option:
Your Google Slides certificate template is used as the basis for your merged Google Slides presentation files.
You can customize your online mail merge from the Google Slides add-on by choosing to merge to multiple files or a single file, selecting a custom file save location, creating custom filenames that include *|merge fields|*, and opting to create PDFs of your Google Slides certificates.
When you merge your certificates, Mail Merge add-on creates merged files based on your preferences.
Step 1: Open Options dialog box
From the Mail Merge sidebar, click on Options to open the Options dialog box.
Step 2: Choose between multiple files and single files
From the Merge Presentation Into drop-down menu, select one of the following options:
Multiple files to create a presentation file for every row.
Single file to merge all rows into a single presentation file.
If you select Single file, proceed to Step 5.
Step 3: Set file name
From the Merged File Name drop-down menu, select one of your *|merge fields|* to use as the file name for your presentation files.
Step 4: Opt to create copies of Google Slides in PDF format
From the Save to PDF drop-down menu, select whether you would like to create PDF copies of your presentation files.
Step 5: Select a file location to save to
Click on My Drive under Save Merged Files To, to select a Google Drive folder to save your merged files (e.g., Merged Certificates).
Step 6: Save Google Slides mail merge preferences
Click on Save to apply the changes.
Step 7: Mail merge to create certificates
Select Presentations under Merge To, and then click on Merge to merge your certificates.
Why the Quicklution Mail Merge add-on is the best for mail merging in Google Docs:
Easy mail merge installation, and free mail merging for the first 20 merges.
Free mail merge online support for both free and premium customers, including 24/7 fast remote support, how to mail merge help and FAQs, and video tutorials.
Trusted by millions of customers including Google, Uber, and Tripadvisor, UN, Dropbox, Harvard College, DC.GOV, Wyoming State, Hillingdon London, City of Edminton Whirlpool, and many more.
Create a mail merge online using one add-on for Google Docs, Google Sheets, Google Slides, and Google Forms, and enjoy seamless integration with Gmail and Google Drive.
Easy mail merging from Google apps to emails, letters, envelopes, certificates, and PDF files (anytime and anywhere using your favorite web browser and operating system).
Create your mail merge to emails with images, QR codes, barcodes, hyperlinks, file link attachments, or personalized PDF attachments.
Free mail merge to Gmail at scheduled times, automatically on a Google form submit, on behalf of someone else, or over SMTP.
Managing the online mail merge is easy with useful tools such as filtering and tracking rows to merge.
Check out the other add-ons of Quicklution for Google Workspace, including Avery Label Merge add-on.