To prepare a mail merge in Pages on your Mac, first choose whether your recipient data is already in Contacts or in a Numbers table. Use a Contacts group for people stored as contact cards; use Numbers when you need a curated list or custom columns. Then add merge fields to a Pages document, check the records in Preview, and merge to create a new document containing a personalized copy for each record.

Choose and prepare your contact list

Pages can merge information from a Contacts group or a Numbers spreadsheet. For a short list you maintain in Contacts, put the intended recipients together in a group and check the relevant cards for missing or outdated names and addresses. If your list is in another spreadsheet format, prepare it as a Numbers spreadsheet before connecting it to Pages; Apple documents Numbers as the spreadsheet source for custom merge fields. Apple: Populate and create customized documents in Pages on Mac

For a Numbers list, use one table for the records you want to merge. Give each column a clear header—such as First Name, Last Name, and Mailing Address—and put one recipient in each row. This structure makes each header available as a merge-field name. If the Numbers file has several tables, you will choose the correct one in Pages. This is practical preparation based on Pages’ documented use of table column headers as fields; Apple does not prescribe a particular naming convention.

Add merge fields to your Pages document

Open or create the letter, invitation, or other document you want to personalize. Click a location where recipient information belongs, then open Document in the toolbar or sidebar, choose the Document tab if it appears, and select Mail Merge. Choose Add Merge Field and select a Contacts field, such as first name or address. Choose More Fields to see the full Contacts field list. New fields are typically recipient fields. Apple: Add, change, or delete a merge field in Pages on Mac

To use a Numbers list, connect it in the Mail Merge controls: choose Add Merge Field, then Add from Spreadsheet; select the Numbers file, choose the intended table if asked, and click Add as Fields. Pages adds the table’s column headers to the field list. Insert the corresponding fields where they belong in the document—for example, place the first-name field after “Dear” and the mailing-address fields in the address block. Apple: Add, change, or delete a source file in Pages on Mac

A merge field is a field object, not ordinary placeholder text. If you select existing text and convert it to a field, Apple says the text content does not change; after adding the field, its placeholder text cannot be edited. If you need to correct a field choice or value, change the field settings or fix the source data rather than trying to rewrite the field label.

Preview the merge and fix mismatches

In Pages, open Document > Mail Merge, click Merge, and check the source shown under Populate With for each field. Click Preview and use the arrows to inspect records, including one near the end of the list. Look for blank names, unexpected address formatting, or data appearing in the wrong place. Preview is read-only: make corrections in Contacts or Numbers, then select the updated spreadsheet source again if you changed its information. Apple: Populate and create customized documents in Pages on Mac Apple: Add, change, or delete a source file in Pages on Mac

This check is especially useful when fields look similar, such as home and work addresses, or when your document uses custom spreadsheet headers. A blank preview value usually points to missing source data or a field connected to the wrong column; revise the relevant contact card, table cell, or field mapping, then preview again.

Create the merged document

When the preview looks right, choose Document > Merge, then click Merge at the bottom right of the pane. Pages creates a new document with a personalized version for each record. Keep the original merge document as your reusable source. Apple notes that recipient fields are populated in the merged output; only sender fields remain as merge fields. Apple: Populate and create customized documents in Pages on Mac

Review the resulting document before printing or sharing it, especially page breaks and address blocks for longer names or addresses. Pages’ documented mail merge creates customized documents; these instructions do not describe a command for sending a bulk email. If you need a different recipient set, update the Contacts group or Numbers records and repeat the merge after checking the preview.

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