Mail Merge Templates are created by preparing a Word document with Salesforce merge fields and uploading it to the org. This describes the modern, supported path that feeds Extended Mail Merge. The older Standard Mail Merge add-in is retired, so do not plan new templates around it.
- Draft the document in Word
Open Microsoft Word and write the letter, fax, or label exactly as you want it to print. Set the fonts, spacing, headers, and footers here, because Salesforce keeps the Word layout as-is and only swaps in record data.
- Insert Salesforce merge fields
Where personalized data should appear, type the merge field using Salesforce syntax, for example {!Contact.FirstName} or {!Account.BillingCity}. Confirm each field belongs to the object the template will target, and use relationship names like {!Opportunity.Account.Name} for parent records.
- Save in the supported Word format
Save the file as a Word 97 to 2003 document (.doc), since Extended Mail Merge generates in that format. Keep the file somewhere easy to find for the upload step.
- Upload it in Setup
Go to Setup, Communication Templates, Mail Merge Templates, and choose New Template. Enter a name and an optional description, attach the .doc file, and save. The template is now a record other users can pick when they run Mail Merge from a record.
A clear label users will see when choosing a template, such as Renewal Reminder Letter.
The .doc Word file that holds the body text and the Salesforce merge fields.
Optional note explaining the template's purpose and which object it runs from, which helps when the list grows.
- Do not build on Standard Mail Merge or the Connect for Office add-in. Both were retired on February 1, 2019, and will not generate documents.
- Merge fields a user cannot see under field-level security will come through blank, so test the template as a typical end user, not only as an admin.
- Rich text area fields lose their formatting in Mail Merge and merge as plain text, so avoid relying on them for styled content.
- Output is .doc, not PDF. If you need a polished PDF or tables that repeat across child records, an AppExchange document generation tool is the better fit.