Email Merge

Email Merge

As with word/docs where you can print letters using custom fields, you may want to the same but instead of sending letters you will use email. This is both quicker to do, and much cheaper (saving around £1 per communication)

This process allows you to send emails to a group of people and customise a pre setup template with custom content.

Unfortuatly google worspace doesn't do this automatically, but we have found a script workaround which is relativley easy to use.

1. Create a template email by creating a draft in gmail. You can make it as complicated as you would like including images etc. Mark the content you would like to come from the merge source, and we will come back to this later. This could include things like names, pupil names, specific infromation relating to the individule etc.

2. You now need to create your data source. There are a number of templates floating around names Gmail/Sheets mail merge. If you can't find it please ask ICT and they should be able to give you a copy. 

Once you have the sheet open you can add/remove columns to fit your needs.

The two mandatory fields are Recipent and Email Sent fields the headers should be left alone as the script looks for these, but the content (row 2 onwards) can be changed

Create/remove columns for all other data you want in your merge. For each items in your draft where you want speific data you should have a field.


Tip - the email sent column should be empty if you wish to send things out. The script will populate this once it runs and the emails get sent.

3. Now you have your template and data source prepare you need to update your template to tell it which coulmn/field to put where

You do this by editing your draft email and plaing markers in the relevent location. The markers should be {{ fieldname }} and are case sensative

So using the example above I may want to put the following fields in my draft {{Surname}}, {{Forename}}, {{Applicant}}, {{LInk}}

Finally copy the subject of the draft email as this will be used to send the emails. 

Once you have inserted your markers into your draft you are now ready to sent the email.

4. Finally go back to the sheets files and click on the mail merge menu at the top. If you haven't used this before you will be asked to grant it access. 

In the Mail merge menu select Send Emails, which will open this window


Paste in the subject title of the draft email. This will tell the script which draft is should be using

The script will now run and can take some time depending on the number of recipients.

You will be able to see the emails in your sent items and also the email sent field in the sheet should be updated to show the sent date.


If you have any issue please speak to the ICT Team.

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