Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Word 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Word, click here: Grouping Records in a Mail Merge.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated January 16, 2016)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003
Erin wants to do a mail merge using source data that is in an Excel worksheet where it is possible for a given individual to have multiple rows of data. She notes that if she was using SQL she could use "GROUP BY" to make sure that all the records of a given individual were grouped together. She wants to "group" records so she can put all the records for a given individual into a single merge document.
This is not something that can be done with Word's mail merge capabilities. In fact, the merging is rather limited when it comes to such matter, generally taking information as it is fed from the source document. This means that it may be best to examine the source and do any sorting, condensing, and selecting in the workbook before you do the merge. There are numerous ways that you can work with your data, including the removal of duplicate records or using macros to condense duplicate records into a single record. (Full information on some of these methods can be found on the ExcelTips site: http://excel.tips.net .)
The other option is to forego Excel and place your data in a real database program, such as Access. There you can do many types of processing—just as you can with an SQL database—in order to create views of information (queries) that can be used as the source data for a Word mail merge. This would allow you to easily use the GROUP BY capabilities that you seek.
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (7451) applies to Microsoft Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Word (Word 2007 and later) here: Grouping Records in a Mail Merge.
Do More in Less Time! An easy-to-understand guide to the more advanced features available in the Microsoft 365 version of Word. Enhance the quality of your documents and boost productivity in any field with this in-depth resource. Complete your Word-related tasks more efficiently as you unlock lesser-known tools and learn to quickly access the features you need. Check out Microsoft 365 Word For Professionals For Dummies today!
When you use a data source to create a bunch of documents in a mail merge, you might not want to print all the documents ...
Discover MoreThe Mail Merge capabilities can appear limited at first glance. One thing that is often overlooked (and which makes the ...
Discover MoreThe Mail Merge tool in Word is a great way to create new, customized documents. If you are doing a lot of merging, you ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
2016-02-12 11:25:59
Morton Wakeland
Actually this can be done. Simply Google mail merge multiple rows. Some guy on UTube give a pretty good explanation but it involves using code in the Word doc. The only thing he does wrong is that he calls curly braces { } brackets which are in fact [ ] Must not have taken advanced math in college.
Got a version of Word that uses the menu interface (Word 97, Word 2000, Word 2002, or Word 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.
Visit the WordTips channel on YouTube
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Word 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Word, click here:
Comments