12.6 Interesting Add-ons : Mail Merge

One of interesting Add-ons for Google Sheet is called "Yet Another Mail Merge" that allows you to send an email to several recipients created by Google Sheet at once with sending status.

Create a mail template (draft)

• 1. Click to compose an email.

  2. Let the field "To" empty.

  3. Write subject and email body. The Add-on will looking at a word written in a pair of "<<" and ">>" and then matched it with a field in Google Sheet and replace the word with data from the matched column.

  4. Add any attach file if needed.

  5. Do NOT click "Send" nor the trash icon ("discard") to save the draft. Any unsent mails are automatically saved as draft unless you click at the trash icon.

  6. Click "close" icon at the top right of composing dialog or just leave the Gmail page.

Install "Yet Another Mail Merge" Add-on

• 1. If you have not install the Add-on, now click "Add-ons" and then "Get add-ons".

• 1. Search out for "Yet Another Mail Merge" add-on

• 1. Select its icon and click Install

• 1. Use your university email to install the add-on.

• 1. Read its permission requirements carefully and click "Allow" if you accepted.

Create recipients information in Google Sheet

NOTE: Close the sheet that you use to install the add-on (if you did) and create a new sheet.

• 1. In Google Drive, click "new Google Sheet" with "blank spreadsheet".

  2. Put the column name in the top row. There can be any number of columns in the sheet. There are two mandatory columns named "Email Address" and "Merge status" that MUST be included in the Sheet to use the Add-on.

  3. Fill in your information to the sheet and keep the column "Merge status" blank.

Send to the recipients

• 1. Click "Add-ons" and select "Yet Another Mail Merge" and then select "Start Mail Merge".

• 1. When its usage capacity shows up, click "Continue".

• 1. Fill in the Sender Name field.

  2. Select Email template that you just created.

  3. If you would like to know the sending status, check the "Track email opened, click or bounce" check box.

  4. Click at Send X emails; when x is the number of recipients in the Google Sheet.

• 1. At the sending result dialog, click OK to close.

  2. The email status will be shown at right panel and text information will be written into "Merge status" column.