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How to Fix Merge Tools Add-In Duplicate Emails and Add PDF Paths
Question details
The user is experiencing issues with the Merge Tools add-in, including emails sending twice or failing to send entirely, and needs instructions on how to insert PDF file paths into their Excel mail merge data source.
- Product
- Merge Tools Add-In for Microsoft Office
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Executing a mail merge operation that includes customized PDF attachments using an Excel data source.
- Observed behavior
- The add-in sends duplicate emails, fails to send outgoing messages, and leaves the user unable to link individual PDF attachment file paths to correct recipients in Excel.
Ensure that your Microsoft Outlook application is open, online, and configured with the correct primary email account before initiating the mail merge process.
Resolve Duplicate Emails and Find Unsent Messages
Use these steps to prevent the add-in from sending duplicate emails and to recover messages that failed to process during the merge.
Duplicate emails are often caused by inadvertently running the merge process multiple times. Unsent messages usually end up in the Drafts folder if the wrong account is active or the send command was interrupted.
Ensure that you only run the mail merge process once. When prompted by the Merge Tools add-in, make sure to explicitly click the 'Send Now' option rather than queuing the messages repeatedly.
If you notice that messages were not sent to recipients, open Microsoft Outlook and navigate to your Drafts folder.
Within the Drafts folder of your correct email account, look for a specific folder named 'Merge Tools'. Any failed or pending outgoing mail merge messages will be stored here for review.
Add PDF Attachment Paths to Your Excel Data Source
Follow this method to correctly format and assign individual PDF file paths to their corresponding recipients in your Excel spreadsheet.
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- 1. Download and Install: Visit the official WPS website to download the free installation package for your operating system.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why did my mail merge emails go straight to the Drafts folder?
Emails are sent to the Drafts folder if Outlook is offline, if the 'Send Now' option was not selected in the Merge Tools add-in, or if the system detected a configuration issue with the default sender account.
How do I remove the quotation marks around the file paths in Excel?
When using 'Copy as path' in Windows, quotation marks are automatically added. To remove them, highlight the column in Excel, press Ctrl+H to open the Find and Replace dialog, type a quotation mark (") in the 'Find what' box, leave 'Replace with' blank, and click 'Replace All'.
Can I send multiple PDF attachments to one person?
Yes. Depending on the specific configuration of the Merge Tools add-in you are using, you can typically include multiple file paths in the same Excel cell by separating them with a specific delimiter, such as a semicolon (;).
