I want to be able to select the data source that the word document uses. With your method, I have to create the data source myself as a mbd document. I have no clue what a mbd file is.
I don't understand why anyone would want to use the standard method in Word 2013. It is a lot of manual data entry.
With my method, I'm able to just cut and paste large amounts of data into an excel spreadsheet, adjust the headings in the spreadsheet, properly title the merge fields in word, then under the "step by step" mail merge tool, select that file and presto! Done.
With the default method you suggested, I have to manually enter data every time I want to do a mail merge.....
I created mail merge documents years ago, I think with Word 2007, which operates the way I want. Word 2013 doesn't do it this way, which I dislike. The new method doesn't make it easy.
So what I tried in Word 2013 now is:
- Clicked "Select Recipients"
- Didn't change anything, didn't enter anything, clicked OK
- Saved the file
- Tried to mail merge
- Nothing happened
What I want is in step 4, Word asks "which file do you want to use"... then I can select one of my many excel files where I have many mail merges already set up.
I appreciate your help very much, I didn't even know where to start. Most tutorials begin much later in the process.