Monday, November 30, 2015

Mail Merge and Google Sheets/Docs



There is a fabulous add-on within Google Docs that will use Google Sheets to create labels through mail merge.  Avery Label Merge is simple to use to create either mailing labels or name tags for the classroom.  Image creating a Google Form to get information from classroom parents and then using their responses to mail information from Sheets Response page.

First off it is necessary to get the Add-on in Google Docs.  Click on the Add-0ns in the Google Docs menu bar.  Choose Get add-ons and search for Avery.


Click on the +Free for the Add-on.  Make sure to allow Avery to access your Google Docs. 

To enable the Avery add-on.  Click on Add-ons again, and select New Merge.


It will then prompt you to select what form of label you will be using and the specific Avery label you will be using.



Choose the type of label.

The mail merge will now prompt you to choose the Google Sheets file you will merge from.


Now it is time to add your fields into your label.  On the right hand side of the Doc form it will show you the fields from the row 1 of your Sheets file.  

As you choose your topics it will place them into the box of the Doc file.  
Blank box

Filled in box.

Once you have your label set up the way that you wish, you are now ready to merge the two files into one.

It will give suggestions about merging and opening a new Document.


 Opens new file that it the program names as the type of label, it is strongly suggested to rename so prior labels aren't overwritten when creating new files.




Education Applications:  

This would be a great tool to use for classroom organization.  After receiving login information for students for different programs, generate labels to have them put in their interactive notebooks for easy access.  Sending out positive parent letters can be quite time consuming when you need to constantly make labels or look up addresses.  Create labels at the beginning of the year and use the labels as a reminder to who you haven't reached out to because their label is still there.







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