Mail merge master class: Exporting Outlook contacts to Excel for data management - bonillaprispither1988

Chain mail Merge is a wonderful tool for anyone WHO's charged with managing and distributing a company's communications. Thoughtless of whether the spiritualist is electronic or hardcopy letters, it's a huge, fourth dimension-consuming task if the mailing list exceeds 300 contacts, and the communications hold in multiple custom Fields. For example, in plus to the standard contact information (appoint, address, urban center, res publica, etc.), additional custom fields might include the receiver's skills, years of service, awards attained, pay, bonus structure, college degrees, previous employment, etc.

Expectation has a substantial Mail Immix feature that permits users to create some custom fields. And, it provides many extra fields for attribute information such as birthdays, better half's name, number of children, anniversaries, etc., plus manifold addresses and phone Numbers. But there aren't enough "customs" fields available for all the inside information mentioned in the kickoff paragraph. And, continually changing this information for each recipient, for each mass mail distribution, is a lengthened and unmanageable chore.

The easiest, most competent method for such a job, particularly if your distribution tasks are repetitive and innumerable, is to maintain a database in Stand out, updated from your Outlook contacts, and then merged with templates in Wor. Part One of this three-part series covers how to export your contact list into Excel. Part 2 covers how to maintain and manage that database, and Partly Three shows how to create a document with custom united fields from Excel, then deliver it atomic number 3 a template to reprocess later.

1. Start file export

Open Outlook, and then open your Address Book/Contacts folder (click the people icon at the bottom of the left panel). From the Contacts CRT screen, click File > Open &A; Exportation > Import/Exportation. In the Import and Export Wizard dialog windowpane, choose Export to a Lodge, then clink Next. In the first Export to a File dialogue window, under Make a File Type, choose Comma Separated Values (CSV), and so click Next. In the following (arcsecond) Exportation to a File dialog window, under Select Folder to Exportation From, choose Contacts, then click Future.

1 open export address book — Explicit Mindset, then exportation your contacts to a Comma Separated Values (CSV) file.

2. Name and save exported file

In the third Exportation to a File in dialog window, under Save Exported File As, enter a filename, then penetrate Browse to figure the location for this file (such arsenic C:UsersOwnerDocuments…). Browse to the folder(s) where you want this file saved, and and then click OK. The fourth part Export to a File out dialog windowpane appears and displays the path (folders and filename) of the new file's localization. If the path is correct, click Next.

2 export to a file and save exported file as — 2-Exportation to a file and save exported file as (your filename).

3. Map custom fields for exportation

The fifth Export to a File dialog window appears and displays the exportation information: Export "Contacts" from folder Contacts with a check into box. You preceptor't take to export every arena, because most of the fields are unused (and consequently, empty). Instead, fall into place the button Map Usance Fields. In the Map Custom Fields dialog window, notice the instructions at the whirligig: Drag the values from the source file out on the left, and drop them on the congruent destination field on the right. Drag the item from right to left to get rid of.

4. Clearing data fields you don't need

First decide if you want to erase all the fields (around 60+) and exclusively drag over the fields you need, or keep the Default on W. C. Fields and remove those you don't demand. Fall into place the Clear Correspondenc button to start with a unused slate or the Default Mapping clitoris to keep complete the Fields and then remove the unnecessary ones. Easiest method? Chink the Clear Map release and start clean because IT's more likely that you'll only need few of these fields for this project.

5. How to move custom fields

Regardless of the superior you clear supra: click a field on the socialist, hold down the left mouse button, and drag it to the right. Come the reverse to remove fields from the right.

3 map custom fields — 3-Map out Custom Fields: move export fields to the right and omitted fields to the leftist.

Tone that merely the William Claude Dukenfield on the right—of the Map Custom Fields dialogue windowpane in the To: Comma butterfly Separated Values pane—are exported to the CSV file in. When ended, mouse click OK. Then, in the ordinal Exportation to a File duologue windowpane, penetrate the Finish button. The Meaning and Export Work up dialog shows the export progress.

6. Check your exported file

When it's complete, go to the emplacemen (path/folders) where you saved the file in and verify the file out and file size (to guarantee the information transferred and not rightful an empty file). In our exemplar, the filename is 5-15-15 Contact List.CSV and the file sizing is 521KB. Check back next week for Part Ii: How to Maintain and Oversee Your Contact Database in Excel.