Mail Merge using Google Docs?
December 21, 2012 11:24 AM Subscribe
How can I do mail merge in Gmail? All the online "how to" things (e.g.) I am finding are telling me there's mail merge functionality in Google Docs, but I can't even find Google Docs from my gmail account. Do I need to install something? Help.
This is to email about 150 people their rewards from a Kickstarter campaign - I am not spamming people! But I'd like to personalize the emails and it would be a pain to have to send them one by one.
This is to email about 150 people their rewards from a Kickstarter campaign - I am not spamming people! But I'd like to personalize the emails and it would be a pain to have to send them one by one.
Best answer: Looks like there's a mail-merge add-in for Drive that you can install if you're using Chrome, you can see it here: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/mail-merge/mkpdapejniddkfibabdihadakdnlikib -- that might make the whole thing easier.
posted by brainmouse at 11:28 AM on December 21, 2012
posted by brainmouse at 11:28 AM on December 21, 2012
Best answer: It's not really wise to do this from a Gmail account. Your recipients ISP's (or their webmail provider, be it Gmail, Yahoo or Hotmail etc) generally tend to examine emails coming from webmail pretty strictly, and trend towards reporting as spam (no matter what your intention).
So it's possible the email may not reach all recipients (which really defeats the purpose of investing the time to figure out GDocs/GDrive Mail Merge) and in the worst case your Gmail account may get flagged for spammy behaviour.
If you're not afraid of this, but have trouble with the GDocs/GDrive solution, Microsoft Word has a Mail Merge function that works with webmail. I've used it in the past (many years ago) and it works fine.
However, the quickest, easiest and safest solution is to use Mailchimp. It has a free service that works really well - and looks really professional.
posted by KokuRyu at 12:02 PM on December 21, 2012 [1 favorite]
So it's possible the email may not reach all recipients (which really defeats the purpose of investing the time to figure out GDocs/GDrive Mail Merge) and in the worst case your Gmail account may get flagged for spammy behaviour.
If you're not afraid of this, but have trouble with the GDocs/GDrive solution, Microsoft Word has a Mail Merge function that works with webmail. I've used it in the past (many years ago) and it works fine.
However, the quickest, easiest and safest solution is to use Mailchimp. It has a free service that works really well - and looks really professional.
posted by KokuRyu at 12:02 PM on December 21, 2012 [1 favorite]
This can also be done from a free account with VerticalResponse - I don't have a basis for comparison to MailChimp, but I used to use Constant Contact and like Vertical Response better.
posted by treehorn+bunny at 1:15 PM on December 21, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by treehorn+bunny at 1:15 PM on December 21, 2012 [1 favorite]
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posted by brainmouse at 11:25 AM on December 21, 2012