Check the source, field and selected records
Work through recipient columns, real merge fields, previews, exclusions and selected-field updates.
Five keyed choices sample a merge workflow. The site does not connect to a mailing list or send messages.
Keep field names separate from recipient records
A simple merge source has named columns representing fields and rows representing recipient records. With columns FirstName and City, each recipient’s values stay together on one data row. A picture of a list cannot supply those two data fields. Check the actual source and sheet selected for the merge, including whether names and postal values are read as intended. Use invented recipients for practice so a formatting exercise does not require a real person’s contact information or a production mailing list.
Insert a connected field rather than its lookalike
Insert Merge Field creates the placeholder associated with a source column. Typing chevrons around a column name creates ordinary text that may resemble the placeholder without functioning as one. In a fresh exercise, use fictional columns GivenName and Room, connect the source and insert those actual fields. Add a short ordinary sentence around them. Identify which parts should vary between recipients and which should stay fixed before previewing; the distinction makes a wrong column or a typed lookalike easier to notice.
Inspect more than the first recipient
Preview Results replaces merge-field names with recipient values, while Next and Previous Record move through the selected records. Use names and locations of different lengths in an invented list so you can inspect punctuation and layout across more than one case. Preview is a review step, not proof that every possible source record is correct. A font or zoom change can improve visibility but cannot substitute for moving between records and checking the actual field values against the selected source.
Exclude a record without erasing the source
Clearing a recipient’s inclusion check box in Edit Recipient List excludes that record from the current merge selection. It does not require deleting the source record. After changing the selection, inspect which recipients remain and preview them before finishing. In a disposable exercise, use four invented records and exclude one, then describe the difference between three selected recipients and four retained source records. This is a selection distinction rather than a request to send or publish any of the resulting letters.
Distinguish a field update from showing its code
F9 updates selected fields in desktop Word for Windows. Alt+F9 toggles field-code displays rather than serving as the selected-field update command. The online item specifies an unlocked field in the main document body; it does not promise that selecting the body updates every field elsewhere. When practising, identify the field, its source and its location before updating. A broken reference or a locked field is a different condition and should not be silently treated as a successful refresh.
Trace a fictional letter from source to preview
Create a tiny source with clearly named columns, connect it to a practice letter and insert actual merge fields. Preview every selected fictional recipient and test one exclusion before considering the output. Keep the original source and working copy separate enough that you can identify what was changed. These are suggested local exercises; the website has not opened Word, inspected a workbook or executed a mail merge. Finishing a local exercise should still involve a deliberate review of the chosen recipients and output.
Use the count as a workflow reminder
This section gives a count out of five for selected source, field and preview distinctions. It does not validate a real mailing list, certify automation skill or demonstrate that you can safely run a large communication workflow. All explanations are free at every count, with no address upload or account gate. After a missed item, vary a fictional column name or record selection and explain the expected effect. Memorising the same five option positions cannot establish transferable Word operation skill.