Mail merge on MacBook isn't allowing me to Finish and Merge to email

Question

I have established Outlook as the default mail application. I still cannot get the Finish and Merge "Merge to email" option to work.

Answer 1

Was Outlook running when it was specified as the default email program? If so, see whether restarting the program makes a difference. If not...

Please explain what "isn't allowing" means... Details are important. Describe your entire process from start to finish.

Also, include the present Version Numbers of your Office & Outlook software as well as whether using New Outlook or Legacy Outlook.

Answer 2

Hi @Kathleen Dillon
Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Q&A Forum.

From what you shared, it sounds like you're using Mail Merge in Word for Mac with a CSV file, but the “Merge to E-Mail” option is grayed out and you're also seeing an error when selecting contacts from Outlook. Does it look like this screenshot?

I tried this on my end, and it seems to be working as expected. You might find the following steps helpful to try:

First, even if you’ve already done this, it’s worth double-checking that Outlook is set as the default email app on your Mac. You can check this by opening the Apple Mail app, going to Mail > Settings > General, and confirming that Microsoft Outlook is selected under “Default email reader.” It might seem like a small detail, but this setting helps Word determine which app to use when performing the email merge. Please provide me the screenshot of this part if you have set Outlook as default.

Next, please check that both Word and Outlook are signed in using the same Microsoft 365 account. If the accounts differ, it may affect how features like Mail Merge function. Please also provide the screenshot of your signed-in account in Word and Outlook as well. (Open Word > click on Word at top-left > About Word - it's also the same when checking on Outlook).

Also, you might want to review your CSV file to make sure it has a header row and includes a column for email addresses. You could try using a simple name like “Email” or “EmailAddress” as that might make it easier for Word to recognize during the merge. 

If the issue persists, it would be great if you could share a bit more detail so we can take a closer look. As Bob as mentioned above, please provide us information about your license and the MacOS Office version as well.

Please understand that our initial reply may not always immediately resolve the issue. However, with your help and more detailed information, we can work together to find a solution. 

I'm looking forward to hearing back from you.

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