Mail merge on Mac: Apple Mail and Outlook options

Compare your options

Decide whether you need mail merge

Mail merge is useful when most of a message stays the same, but details such as the name or company change for each person. If each email needs different wording, writing them individually may be easier.

For a regular newsletter, look for a service that also manages subscribers, unsubscribe requests and campaign reports. Those are separate needs from personalizing individual emails.

Can you use Outlook for mail merge on Mac?

Yes. Use Word for Mac to create personalized emails and Outlook for Mac to send them. Check that your installed Word and Outlook versions support this before starting.

1. Follow Microsoft’s macOS mail-merge instructions to connect your recipient list and insert the fields. Start with a small test list of addresses you control.
2. Preview the messages, then choose Finish & Merge → Merge to E-Mail. Select the recipient email field, enter a subject and choose an email format. A default email program must be selected. If your list comes from Outlook contacts, Microsoft also requires matching Word and Outlook versions.
3. Select Mail Merge To Outbox to send the test messages. Check the sender and received messages before using your real list.

Using an older tutorial? Legacy Outlook will stop working with Exchange Online mailboxes from October 2026. Check your versions before following advice to switch to Legacy Outlook.

Set up mail merge with Dearmailo and Apple Mail

• Dearmailo

Dearmailo imports XLSX, CSV, TSV and TXT lists and sends separate emails through Apple Mail.

First-time setup: check that your chosen account can send a normal message in Apple Mail. In Dearmailo’s setup assistant, complete the Accessibility and Connect Apple Mail steps before preparing a campaign. The setup guide explains the permissions and what to do if access was previously declined.

Put column names in the first row, then add one person per row below it. For an Excel (.xlsx) file, put the list on the first worksheet. A simple list could look like this:

These are fictional details. For your first test, use an email address you control.

1. Import and check. In Dearmailo → Contacts, choose Import file. Match each column to the right field, such as Email or First name. Check invalid or duplicate addresses before confirming.
2. Write one campaign. Choose the list under Recipients. Use the Variable menu to insert a field such as First name or Company. Dearmailo fills it with each person’s details. Check the sender and signature.
3. Continue to Review. Check the finished messages and send a test as described in the next section.

Check the personalized emails and send yourself a test

1. Open Review and move through the recipients. Check the finished greeting, subject, company, sender, signature and attachments.
2. Fix missing or incorrect fields. If you changed the contact list, use Refresh under Recipients in the campaign and review again.
3. Enter an address you control and choose Send test. Check the received email, including links and attachments, before proceeding. Send another test if you change the message, sender, signature or attachments.

Check recipients with different or missing information too; the first email can look correct while a later one has a problem.

Keep your Mac available while the emails send

In Send, review the final checks and choose how quickly to send the messages. Dearmailo opens and checks compose windows in Apple Mail. Keep both apps open, the Mac awake and connected, and avoid typing or working in other apps until sending finishes. Your email provider’s limits still apply.

“Sent via Mail” means Apple Mail accepted the send command; it is not a delivery receipt from the recipient’s inbox.

Continue with the full import-to-send walkthrough, or watch the Dearmailo tutorial to follow the interface.