File Format & Compatibility

Fix Chinese Character Encoding Errors in Word Mail Merge

Rana Garcia Oct 7, 2026 876 views

Question details

The user needs to fix corrupted Chinese characters in a Word mail merge when merging more than two records.

How to Fix Chinese Character Encoding Errors in Word Mail Merge

Product: Microsoft Word
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Using a VBA Word mail merge with a text data source containing Traditional Chinese (Big5) characters to print individual certificates.
Observed behavior: Merging one or two records works correctly, but merging more than two records results in corrupted Chinese character text, even after explicitly selecting Traditional Chinese Big5 encoding.

Before you start

Before proceeding, verify that your original text data source file is strictly saved with the correct encoding (such as UTF-8) and back up your main mail merge template.

Solution 1Recommended

Use the Merge Tools Add-in to Create Individual Documents

By utilizing the third-party Merge Tools Add-in, you can bypass native VBA mail merge limitations causing encoding errors and securely generate separate Word or PDF files for each certificate.

Native Word VBA macros can sometimes mishandle character encoding when processing text data sources across multiple records. The Merge Tools Add-in provides a robust alternative designed specifically to split merges into individual documents without corrupting localized fonts or characters.

Install the Add-in

Download the Merge Tools Add-in and follow the included instructions to install and enable it in Microsoft Word.

Open the Merge Document

Open your main certificate mail merge document in Word and ensure your data source is connected.

Select the Merge Tools Feature

Navigate to the newly added Merge Tools tab on the ribbon and click on 'Merge to Individual Documents'.

Choose Output Format

In the dialog box, select whether you want to output each record as a separate Word document or a PDF file.

Execute the Merge

Run the process. The add-in will generate individual certificates for all records without the Chinese character corruption observed in standard VBA batch merges.

Use the Merge Tools Add-in to Create Individual Documents

Tip: Generating individual PDFs directly can prevent further font or encoding display issues when transferring the certificates to another computer for printing.

Easily Create Certificates with WPS Office

Use WPS Writer for Error-Free Mail Merge

WPS Writer features a robust, built-in Mail Merge tool that seamlessly handles various file encodings, including Traditional Chinese, without requiring complex VBA scripts or external add-ins.

1. Open the Template: Launch WPS Writer and open your main certificate template document.
2. Access Mail Merge: Go to the 'References' tab on the top ribbon and click on 'Mail Merge' to activate the toolset.
3. Connect Data Source: Click 'Open Data Source' and select your spreadsheet or text file containing the Chinese character records.
4. Insert Merge Fields: Place your cursor in the appropriate spots on the certificate and click 'Insert Merge Field' to add your data columns.
5. Generate Documents: Click 'Merge to New Document' to generate all certificates cleanly and correctly without encoding errors.

Native support for diverse text encodings like UTF-8 and Big5Built-in Mail Merge wizard for quick certificate generationFully compatible with Microsoft Word (.docx) and Excel (.xlsx) formatsLightweight, fast, and free alternative to complex office suites

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why do Chinese characters appear corrupted in a Word mail merge?

Corrupted characters usually happen when the text data source's encoding does not match the encoding Word expects, or due to buffer limitations in custom VBA scripts processing large text files. Saving the data source as a properly encoded Excel or UTF-8 CSV file often resolves this.

Can I save each mail merge record as a separate PDF natively in Word?

Native Word mail merge does not have a built-in 'Merge to individual PDFs' button. You either need a custom VBA macro or a dedicated third-party add-in like Merge Tools to achieve this.

Does changing the text file encoding to UTF-8 fix the Big5 merge issue?

Yes, converting your text data source from Big5 to UTF-8, or importing it into an Excel spreadsheet before running the mail merge, can often bypass native character encoding conflicts in Office applications.

Document & File Issues