Using Mail Merge for Lotus Notes Email

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Using Mail Merge for Lotus Notes Email

• Author Gavin Bollard, 19 May 2011
• Reviewed David Turner, 29 Sept 2011, for release
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Contents

• Part 1 Getting the Files
• Part 2 Installation
• Part 3 Creating the Merge
• Part 4 Sending the Merge Files

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Part 1 Getting the Files

• Go to OpenNTF (http//www.openntf.org/)
• Look for a project called
• MailMerge Excel to Notes
• Click on Releases
• Download the latest ZIP File
• Extract it.

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Part 2 Installation

• This needs to be done by someone with the IBM
  Domino Designer application.
• For test purposes, apply it on a single mail
  database file.
• Once tested, you should probably do it on your
  mail file master template for easy distribution.

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Copy Agents from Project File

• In Designer, open the MailMerge.nsf database
  included in the ZIP File.
• On the Left Hand Navigator, expand Code
• Double-Click on Agents to see the three Mail
  Merge agents
• Mail Merge\Create Mail Merge
• Mail Merge\Send Mail Merge
• Mail Merge\Send Selected Mail Merge
• Copy the agents.

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Paste Agents in Mail File

• Open your Mail file or template (7.x or 8.x
  compatible).
• On the Left Hand Navigator, expand Code
• Paste the agents onto the Agent node.

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Copy agents from MailMerge database
Paste into your mail database
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Part 3 Creating the Merge

• To do a merge, youll need
• An Excel spreadsheet containing merge data.
• A Lotus Notes email in draft mode.

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Creating the Spreadsheet

• Start Excel and create some columns.
• To SendTo email address
• Cc CopyTo email address
• Bcc BlindCopyTo email address
• Subject Email Subject
• Attachments Filenames to attach to the email
• One of the address fields must be provided.
• Attachment files must exist. A list can be
  pipe-separated (), and it supports wildcards
  ().
• And add any extra columns you want.
• Any headers and data may be formula-based.
• Save your spreadsheet.

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Creating the Email

• In Lotus Notes, create a new Mail Memo
• Leave the Address Details blank but you can put a
  subject in (it will get overwritten anyway).
• In the email body, type some text in uppercase
  and square brackets (e.g. SURNAME) whenever you
  want to reference a field in your spreadsheet.
• When finished, click Save as Draft.

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Creating the Merged Emails

• Open your drafts folder and select (click on
  without opening) your new email.
• From the Notes Menu, select
• Actions, Mail Merge, Create Mail Merge

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Click Ok

• If you missed fields, youll get a warning.
• Otherwise youll just get a message.
• In both cases, Note the ID Number and click Ok.

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Click Ok Again

• The mail merge operation will then go and create
  draft emails.
• When it has finished, it will tell you how many
  it created and remind you of the ID number.
• Note that drafting lots of emails could take a
  while so test on a small number first.
• Click Ok to continue.

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View Your Drafts

• Your drafts should appear in the drafts folder.
• You can view, edit and delete them just like
  normal email.

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Check an Email or Two

• Be sure to do a few checks before sending your
  emails.
• Youll see that your fields have been filled in.

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Check an Email or Two

• Be sure to do a few checks before sending your
  emails.
• Youll see that your fields have been filled in.

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Part 4 Sending the Merge Files

• You dont actually have to do this part.
• You can send your drafts individually, just like
  normal emails.
• But its easier to send in bulk.
• You can choose to either
• A send all drafts, or
• B only selected drafts.

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A Send All Process

• From the Notes Menu, select,
• Actions, Mail Merge, Send Mail Merge.

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B Send Selected Process

• In your Drafts folder, select the mails you want
  to send (or you can select all).
• Drafts which dont contain the merge ID wont be
  sent.
• From the Notes Menu, select,
• Actions, Mail Merge, Send Selected Mail Merge.

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Enter ID

• The merge will prompt you for the ID number you
  wrote down earlier.
• Usually it guesses it right based on your
  selection or the previously created batch.

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Click Ok

• The last warning screen will be displayed telling
  you how many emails it found with the Batch ID
  you used.
• If this is ok, click Ok.

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Wait for Confirmation

• The time taken will vary depending on how many
  emails you sent.
• At the end of the process, youll be told how
  many were sent and how many errors were received.
  
• Click ok when done.

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What it Looks Like

• It just looks like a normal email.
• Heres my Gmail test.

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The End

• And a big thank you to
• David Turner
• Sacha Chua
• For developing such a great utility.