Merge to Certificates

How do I merge presentations using Google Slides?

Mail merge to emails with a personalized PDF attachment based on a Google Slides template. Ideal to send Certificates or just generate the files for printing.

Watch a 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.

Introduction to the best mail merge for Google Slides

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

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 from a Google Slides

  • How to mail merge certificate templates to Google Slides presentation files or merge to PDF from Google Slides

Step 1: Create your mail merge template for certificates

Create your mail merge template in Google Slides.

Step 2: Start the Mail Merge add-on for Google Slides

Start Mail Merge for Google Slides by clicking Add-ons > Mail Merge > Start.

This will open the Mail Merge sidebar in the Google Slides add-on.

Step 3: Select your source data

From the Mail Merge sidebar, click Open Spreadsheet and choose 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 your Sheet

From the Sheet drop-down, select the tab in your Google Sheet that you want to merge data from.

Step 5: Check your source data

Make sure the first row in your Google Sheet contains column names, such as Name, Address, Email, etc. These column names will be 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: Add your *|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 and clicking 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 in the same way you would 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 will be 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 will add an attachment to each of your emails using your Google Slides certificate template - Mail Merge will attach the file in PDF format

Step 1: Configure your emails

From the Mail Merge sidebar, click Email Settings and then:

  • From the Email To drop down, select the column containing the recipient's email address. Multiple emails can be used for each To receipent.

  • Enter 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 a mail merge template for your emails

Click Write Email Body.

This will open the Email Body Template dialog box, from where you can write the email body to which Mail Merge will attach a PDF file attachment when you merge your emails.

Step 3: Write your mail merge template for your email body

Write your email body template.

Step 4: Add your *|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 and clicking 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 in the same way you would regular text.

Step 5: Save your Gmail mail merge template

Click Save to apply changes.

Step 6: Set a filename for your mail merge attachments

Click Set Filename.

This will open the Attachment's Filename dialog box, from where you can set the filename for your mail merge Gmail attachment.

Step 7: Choose between static filenames and *|merge field|* filenames for your mail merge email attachments

Select an option from the drop-down to set the filename for your mail merge Gmail attachments:

  • Same for all emails will set a static filename, which will be the same for all mail merge attachments. Enter a filename in the box provided.

  • Merge from column will set a *|merge field|* filename, which enables a different filename to be set for each mail merge attachment. Select a *|merge field|* from the drop-down.

And then click Save to apply changes.

Static Filename

Merge Field Filename

Step 8: Merge your certificates as Google Slides PDF attachments

You now have three options:

A. Merge to a Test Email: This will give you a good idea of how your emails will appear to recipients, before sending emails. It will merge the first row of data in your sheet (that is row 2 since row 1 only contains column headers).

B. Merge to Emails: This will merge and send all of your emails straight away.

C. Merge to Gmail's Draft Folder: This will give you the opportunity to check and edit emails before you send them.

Select one of the three options above and press the Merge button to start the mail merge process.

Option 2: Mail Merge to Google Slides Presentation Files

Overview

With this option:

  • Your Google Slides certificate template will be 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 which include *|merge fields|* and opting to create PDFs of your Google Slides certificates

  • When you merge your certificates, Mail Merge will create merged files based on your preferences

Step 1: Open the options dialog box

From the Mail Merge sidebar, click Options.

This will open the Options dialog box.

Step 2: Choose between multiple files and single files

From the Merge Presentation Into drop-down, select one of the following options:

  • Multiple files - this will create a presentation file for every row.

  • Single file - this will merge all rows into a single presentation file.

If you select Single file, proceed to Step 5.

Step 3: Set a file name

From the Merged File Name drop-down, select one of your *|merge fields|* to use as the file names for your presentation files.

Step 4: Opt to create copies of your Google Slides in PDF format

From the Save to PDF drop-down, select whether you would like to create PDF copies of your presentation files.

Step 5: Choose a file location to save to

Click My Drive under Save Merged Files To.

From here you can select a Google Drive folder in which to save your merged files, e.g. Merged Certificates.

Step 6: Save your Google Slides mail merge preferences

Click Save to apply changes.

Step 7: Mail merge to create your certificates

Select Presentations under Merge To and then click Merge to merge your certificates.

Congratulations! You now know how to mail merge to Gmail with personalized Google Slides PDF attachments and how to mail merge to certificates in Google Slides presentations using the best mail merge add-on for Google Slides.

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


Check out Quicklution's online mail merge add-ons for Google Workspace, including Avery Label Merge.