Mail Merge guide

Mail Merge
is a desktop application designed to send personalized letters for signature to a larger number of recipients than SafeSend Signatures will typically permit. Once installed, you can create templates and mailing lists to deliver documents like engagement letters in bulk. The following video demonstrates how to create
Mail Merge
templates and complete the
Mail Merge
process. Refer to our Mail Merge Guide for additional information.
  1. Open a Microsoft Word® document and select
    SafeSend Signatures
    . For help with installing the add-in, refer to our Mail Merge Guide article.
  2. Select
    E-Sign Action Center
    to open the add-in.
  3. You can place signature fields on the document. The client will be prompted to perform an action on these fields, except the date field, which is auto-filled. Go to the page that requires client input.
  4. Select the
    Signature Placement
    tab in the SafeSend Signatures add-in.
  5. Select the signer from the dropdown.
  6. Place your cursor on the page where the field should be placed.
  7. Double-select to place in the field. The signature block is placed on the form and the client will be prompted to sign.
  8. Select the signature block to mark the signature as required. This checkbox is deselected by default.
  9. Continue to place fields for that signer as needed by placing your cursor in the correct location, then double-selecting the signature block option.
  10. Select any additional signers from the dropdown.
  11. Add signature blocks for additional signers the same way they were added for Signer 1.
  12. Follow the same steps to place fields like checkboxes.
  13. When a Data Field is added, select the block to open a tooltip window and enter a prompt for the client. They’ll be able to type into this field. Resize the block on the document to permit more text.
  14. Select the
    Required
    checkbox to require the client to fill the field.
  15. You can also add merge fields to the document. Data is pulled from the CSV template to auto-fill those fields.
  16. Select the
    Mail Merge
    tab.
  17. Place your cursor on the page where the merge field should be placed.
  18. Select the
    merge
    field to place it.
  19. Select
    Create Custom Merge Fields
    to add a new merge field.
  20. Enter a merge field name. Any spaces will be removed. No special characters are permited.
  21. Select
    Place Field
    to apply the new merge field.
  22. Once all signature and merge fields are placed, save the Microsoft Word® document.
  23. Select
    Create CSV Template
    to generate a CSV file that includes headers for all of your merge fields. This CSV file is customized to match the Microsoft Word® template.
  24. Save the CSV template to your computer.
  25. Select
    OK
    .
  26. Open the CSV file. The version number and column headers are generated from the Microsoft Word® file. The Version cell is required and should not be moved or edited.
  27. Don’t edit any of the column headers, even if the following cells will be left blank.
  28. Signer1Email
    and
    Taxpayer Name
    are required fields and must be filled. All other fields are optional and can be left blank. If a merge field is left blank, the space occupied by the field in the Microsoft Word® document is removed.
  29. There is no limit on the number of recipients that can be added, but the more recipients there are the longer the merge process will take.
    Mail Merge
    can remain open in the background while the files are merged.
  30. Ensure fields that contain numbers are formatted correctly. Microsoft Excel® removes leading zeros by default, so some client IDs and ZIP Codes may be affected. Refer to our Leading Zeros in CSV Template article for more information.
  31. Once all recipient information has been entered, save and close the CSV file. Close the Microsoft Word® document as well.
  32. Open the
    Mail Merge
    desktop application.
  33. Select
    Create Document Template
    to open Microsoft Word® and build a new template.
  34. Select
    Open Document Template
    to upload an existing template. This opens a file browser where you can select the document.
  35. Select
    CSV FILE
    to upload your completed CSV file. This opens a file browser where you can select the document.
  36. The uploaded document names are displayed following the upload options.
  37. Select
    Check Errors
    to continue.
  38. If no errors are found, the Pre Merge Errors window is blank. If errors are found, they are described in the window. Correct any errors in the Microsoft Word® template and CSV file and upload the corrected documents. Select
    Merge Files
    to continue.
  39. The merge progress displays. This may take several minutes to complete depending on the number of documents being merged, but you can permit the program to work in the background.
  40. The Merged Documents List shows which documents and email addresses were recognized. Double-select a document name to preview it. Select
    Configuration
    to continue.
  41. The
    Mail Merge Configuration Options
    display your default Signatures settings. Select
    Document Type
    ,
    Expiry Date
    , or
    Tax Year
    to edit them.
  42. Select the
    Sender Signing Order
    if a Sender Signature block was included in the Microsoft Word® document.
  43. Select an
    Office Location
    and
    Contact Person
    .
  44. Select a
    Signing Sequence
    . Parallel Signing allows all signers to sign at the same time. Custom Signing Sequence requires clients to sign in order. Signer 2 won’t receive an access link until Signer 1 completes signing.
  45. Select a message template from the dropdown, or create a new message by selecting the plus button.
  46. Select
    Access Code Required
    to add an additional layer of security. The document recipient must enter an access code sent to their email address before viewing or signing.
  47. Select
    Send for Signature
    to deliver the documents.
  48. The merge progress displays. This may take several minutes to complete depending on the number of documents being merged, but you can allow the program to work in the background.
  49. Once the items are sent, they appear in your Delivered report in Signatures.

Interactive tutorial