Mail Merge queries

Question

Hi,

hoping someone can help with a few queries i have doing a mail merge. I have Kutools and wish to use that rather than download anything different.

1. How to CC multiple emails addresses.
2. How to add an image if a column says yes.
3. How can i send from a different email address i.e. main email and not my own.

I sent out a mail merge last week with what i could and i had some of the formula show up that didn't show up on the preview, I checked the formulas to see if there was something there that shouldn't and it all seemed ok?

Also, i had responses from the mail merge and in the response, when i looked at the original email sent- it showed ALL the hidden formulas. Please tell me that the recipient can't see this- doesn't look very professional.

Thanks

Answer 1

Use my Merge Tools Add-in that is contained in the MERGE TOOLS ADD-IN.zip file that you can download from:

 

https://mergetoolsaddin.com/

Extract the files from the archive and read the:

“READ ME – Setting up and using the Merge Tools Add-in.pdf

to see how to install and use the various tools.

Using those tools, it is possible to perform the following types of merge that cannot be done with Mail Merge “out-of-the-box”:

• Merge to e-mail messages either with or without attachments, with the documents created by the merge being sent as either Word or PDF attachments or as the body of the e-mail message .  The email messages can, if necessary, also be sent to CC and BCC addresses and the subject of the message can include data from a field in the data source.
• Merge to individual documents in either Word or PDF format with the filenames being supplied by the data in one of the fields in the data source
• Many to One type merges, which can be used for creating documents such as invoices where there are multiple records in the data source that have common data in one of the fields
• Merging to a document that will include a chart that is unique to each record in the data source
• Merging a document with Content Controls
• Merging a document that contains Legacy FormFields
• Duplex Merges
• Merging to a printer that will collate and staple the output created from each record in the data source.

The requirements for using the system are:

• The mail merge main document must be of the Letters type, though that does not mean that the output cannot be sent as an e-mail message where relevant.
• For the Many To One, Merge with Attachments and Merge to Individual Docs utilities, the data source may be either a table or query in an Access database, or in the form of an Excel worksheet. For the Chart Merge utility, see the Mail Merging with Charts document that is included in the Merge Tools Add-in Zip file for additional requirements for the data source for use with that utility
• For a data source in the form of an Excel worksheet, the field names must be in the first row of the worksheet and there must be a field name in all of the cells in that row that are within the range of columns that contain the data.
• For both types of data source, the field names must contain only alphanumeric characters (No @,#,$,%,&,(,), etc) and the field names must not start with a numeric character (0-9). The number of characters in the field names, including spaces, must not be more than 40.

The MergeTools Add-in will NOT work with the “New Outlook”, which is just a re-badged version of Windows Mail and like its predecessor, it does not support automation and hence will not send the messages created by the MergeTools Add-in.

Be aware, that any messages that you had tried to send with the “New Outlook” will have been placed in the Outbox of the original Outlook and they will be sent as soon as you revert to that version of Outlook.   If you do not want that to happen, you should put Outlook Off-line, or disconnect your computer from the Internet.

For a demonstration of the use of the facility, prepared by a Microsoft employee, see

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yj_s3cdfVDY

Answer 2

Dear Ashleigh Milburn,

Thank you very much for posting your question on the Microsoft Q&A forum

From your descriptions, you would like to use Kutools in Outlook to CC multiple email addresses, insert an image conditionally based on a column value, and send emails from a different email account. I completely understand how important it is to have this working smoothly, especially when managing mail merge tasks.

However, since Kutools for Outlook is a third-party add-in and not a Microsoft product, it is developed and supported independently. As such, for the most accurate and detailed assistance regarding its features and configuration, I kindly recommend contacting the Kutools support team directly, as they are best equipped to provide guidance specific to their product.

In addition, because we primarily focus on core Microsoft 365 applications and services, posting your question in the Microsoft Tech Community may also help you connect with users and experts who have practical experience with similar configurations. That way, you can receive insights from a broader group of contributors who may have encountered the same scenario.

Sorry for directing you to a different community, but my intention is to ensure that you receive the most accurate and professional assistance possible.

Thank you very much for your understanding and patience. I truly appreciate your cooperation, and I hope you’re able to get the solution you need quickly.

Answer 3

Word mail merge itself has specific capabilities and limits; Kutools works on top of that but is not covered in the provided material, so only the standard Word/Outlook behavior can be addressed.

1. CC multiple email addresses

Standard Word mail merge to email does not support CC or BCC at all. Each message is sent only to the address in the To field selected from the data source.

From the documentation:

• When finishing the merge, Word sends “an individual message to each email address. You cannot CC or BCC other recipients. You cannot add attachments, but you can include links.”

So with out‑of‑the‑box Word + Outlook mail merge, CC for one or multiple addresses is not available.

2. Add an image if a column says “Yes”

The context only covers inserting standard merge fields (text, numbers, dates, etc.) and using rules for conditional text. It does not document conditional images.

What is documented:

• Individual merge fields (like First_Name, email, phone) can be inserted via Mailings > Insert Merge Field.
• Rules can be used to change text based on data (for example, show “Past Due” if a date is in the past) via Mailings > Rules.

However, there is no documented method here for conditionally inserting an image based on a Yes/No column.

3. Send from a different email address

The documentation requires that Outlook be the default email program and that Word hands off each merged message to Outlook. It does not describe choosing a different From account during the merge.

What is documented:

• For email merges, Word sends directly through the default Outlook profile and does not expose a From selector in the mail merge UI.
• The mail merge UI only lets the user choose:
  • To field (which column contains the recipient email)
  • Subject line
  • Mail format (HTML or Plain text, or attachment on Mac)

So, with standard Word mail merge, sending from a different From address (such as a shared mailbox) is not documented in this context.

4. Hidden formulas and preview vs. final email

The provided documentation covers:

• How to insert and preview merge fields using Preview Results.
• That after inserting fields, formatting must be done manually.

It does not describe behavior where hidden formulas or field codes appear to recipients, nor does it provide guidance on preventing formulas from being visible in received messages.

Because of that, there is no supported statement here about whether recipients can or cannot see those formulas; the only documented preview guidance is to use Mailings > Preview Results and step through records to confirm content before sending.

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References:

• Use mail merge in Word to send bulk email messages
• Mail merge using an Excel spreadsheet
• Use mail merge for bulk email, letters, labels, and envelopes
• Insert mail merge fields
• Use mail merge to send Access data to Word
• Mail Merge Emails not sent - Microsoft Q&A
• Merge to Email problem - please help - Microsoft Q&A
• Mail merge to draft in outlook 365 - Microsoft Q&A
• Subdocument Formatting - Microsoft Q&A