How to Use Mail Merge with a Shared Mailbox in Microsoft 365

Outlook on a PC (Windows only)

To send personalized emails to a large number of recipients from a department shared mailbox, use the mail merge feature in Microsoft Word. Complete both steps below in order.

Step 1 – Create a New Outlook Profile for the Shared Mailbox

By default, the shared mailbox appears as a secondary mailbox in your regular Outlook profile. However, for mail merge to send from the shared mailbox, it must be set as the default account in a dedicated Outlook profile.

1. Close Outlook if it is currently open.
2. Open Control Panel by pressing the Windows key and typing “control panel.”
3. Select Mail, then click Show Profiles, then click Add.
4. Enter the department shared mailbox name (e.g., Office of the Registrar) and click OK.
5. Select Manual setup or additional server types and click Next.
6. Select Office 365 and enter the shared mailbox email address, then click Next.     Note: If you see a blank Your Name / Your Email screen instead, enter the department name and the shared mailbox email address (e.g., officeoftheregistrar@drury.edu). Leave both password fields blank and click Next.
7. When the Windows Security pop-up appears, enter your personal Drury email address and password, then click OK.
8. Go back to Control Panel → Mail → Show Profiles and select Prompt for a profile to be used. Click OK.
9. Open Outlook. You will now be prompted to choose a profile each time Outlook opens. Select the newly created shared mailbox profile.

Step 2 – Configure and Run the Mail Merge in Microsoft Word

The merge combines your Word message with a recipient list from a data spreadsheet. Before starting, make sure your spreadsheet has a column for email addresses and any merge fields you plan to use (e.g., first name).

1. Open your message document in Microsoft Word and click the Mailings tab.
2. Click Start Mail Merge and select E-mail Messages from the dropdown.
3. Click Select Recipients and choose Use Existing List.
4. Use the dialog box to navigate to and open your recipient data spreadsheet.
5. Select the appropriate table or sheet in the dialog box that appears.
6. If needed, click Edit Recipient List to review the data and deselect any recipients you want to exclude.
7. Click Finish & Merge, then select Send E-Mail Messages.
8. In the Merge to E-mail dialog box, verify the following:     • The To: field is set to the column containing email addresses.     • The Subject line field contains the correct subject.     • Mail format is set to HTML.
9. Click OK. Word will send each personalized message through Outlook using the shared mailbox profile.

•  After the mail merge is complete, switch back to your personal Outlook profile (Control Panel → Mail → Show Profiles) to resume normal email use.

•  Microsoft 365 enforces daily sending limits. For very large recipient lists, consider splitting the send across multiple days or contacting IT.

•  Always send a test message to yourself first by temporarily limiting the recipient list to your own address.

•  The mail merge Send E-Mail Messages option only appears when Outlook is the default mail program on your PC.

For additional help, contact the Drury University Technology Services Help Desk.