How to use Merge on Postworks portal

This support article will explain how to use Merge on Postworks portal

 

What is Merge?

Merge is a feature that allows you to combine a template document (e.g. a letter) with a list of recipient data (e.g. names and addresses) to create multiple customised copies of the document.

For example, you could use merge to create a batch of letters, each with a different recipient's name and address.

How does Merge work?

Merge typically involves three main steps:

Step 1: Create a template document

• The first step is to create a template document.
• This is the document that will be used as the basis for each personalised copy of the merge. The template file format must be .docx or .doc.
• If you're creating a batch of letters, your template document will be the complete letter that you want to send with the merge fields inserted as placeholders for the variable data (addresses, names, etc.).

• You will need to add a {# at the start and a #} at the end of every merge field. The name of the merge field must exactly match the name of the merge field on your data file.

{#merge field name#}

This template can also include special objects like QR codes, tables and images. You can find out more about how to set them up below.

Step 2: Create a List of Recipient Data 

• The second step in merge is to create a list of data items.
• This data typically includes information such as the recipient's name, address, and any other details you want to include in the letter that is personalised to each recipient.
• Your data file will need to be saved as a .xml or .xlsx file. 
• The merge field names in the data file and the document template need to match exactly. 
• Below you can see what the data set should look like depending on the file type you’re using (.xml vs. .xslx).
• Merge supports special elements (like QR codes, images, tables)  that require a special convention that includes “pw-” in the column name. Columns that start with ”pw-” are special columns that enable enhanced functionality on Merge and usually require additional configuration.

.xslx:

• Every merge field in the template will fetch from the corresponding column in the spreadsheet. Columns that contain the same text as the merge field - excluding the curly brackets and hashtags. Eg. the data for the “{#GivenName#}” field in our example above will be taken from the “GivenName” column in the data list.
• Each line from the spreadsheet will be used by Merge to generate a single item. In the example above, the spreadsheet contains 4 rows (besides the header row) and Merge will generate 4 letters.

 

Step 3:Upload to Postworks

• The final step in merge is to upload to Postworks.

How do I upload items to be merged?

 

Step 1.

Create a New Postbox and in the 'Type' dropdown - select 'Merge'.

 

Step 2.

Next you would click 'Choose template' and select your word template.  

 

Step 3.

Fill out the settings as required including 'Advanced settings' of the Postbox and click Save.

 

 

Step 4. 

Locate the postbox and click to upload.

Step 5.

Upload the list of recipient data (e.g. spreadsheet). This will then start processing as normal. You will be able to see the status of the merge upload and start previewing your letters.

Once processed, make sure that the number of files recognised matches the number of recipients in your data file. Merge will automatically replace any placeholders in the template document (e.g. "{#GivenName#}”) with the corresponding data from the data list. 

 

Step 6.

The Merge is complete and will sit in the Post Tray Post Tray for 30 minutes. 

Step 7.

View items - check if this is as expected. 

 

Using XML

It's possible to use XML instead of Excel and for that every merge field in the template corresponds to a tag in the .xml file. The data for the “{#GivenName#}” field in our template will be taken from the “<GivenName></GivenName>” code line in the data list.

eg:

Adding images

Adding images is possible by using the special column keywords "pw-". For adding an image, you need to use the pw-insert-<identifier> the <identifier> needs to be an unique name (string) and is informational only, without any functionality.

For example, if you want to add an image of a license plate in a letter, you could create a column in Excel called "pw-insert-license". If you need 2 images, you could create a second column called "pw-insert-license2".

 

 

The cell contents to insert an image need to start with "image" and need to supply the following information:

• Insert type
• URL
• Height
• Width

in the following way:

insert type,URL,Height,Width

so, to insert an image, you can do:

image,https://www.postworks.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/lUddHjwc_400x400.png,200,200

This will cause an image to be inserted in the letter at the position of the merge field and will resize it to 200x200 (h,w).

If your image is not a perfect square, you can supply only one of the properties - height or width - leaving the other empty, and Merge will resize your image, while maintaining aspect-ratio. eg.

image,https://www.postworks.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/lUddHjwc_400x400.png,,100

would resize the image to 100px width and resize the height accordingly.

In the previous example:

would result:

Adding QR codes

Adding a QR code is similar to adding an image, where you make use of the pw-insert-<identifier> tag with the same requirement for uniqueness. The difference will be in the information in the cell for each row. For QR codes, the information needed is the following:

• Insert type
• QR code content
• Size (in pixels)

For example, the following content

qr,https://www.postworks.co.uk,200

would generate a QR code with the URL and a size of 200px.

For example, this:

 

would generate:

 

Why Use Merge?

There are several benefits to using merge:

1. Saves time and effort: Instead of creating individual letters for each recipient, you can use merge to generate multiple personalised copies of the document with just a few clicks.
2. Improves accuracy: By using a list of recipient data, you can ensure that each personalised copy of the document includes the correct information for each recipient.
3. Enhances personalisation: Merge allows you to personalise each copy of the document with information specific to each recipient, such as their name, address, and other details.
4. Advanced functionality: With Merge, you can insert images, generate QR codes or even have expanding tables per recipient.

Conclusion

Merge is a powerful tool that can save you time and effort when creating mass mailings.

By combining a template document with a list of recipient data, you can create multiple customised copies of the document with just a few clicks.