How to Mail Merge Avery Labels in Word (From an Excel List)

Mail merge turns a list of names and addresses into a full sheet of printed labels in a few minutes, and Word has Avery’s label sizes built in, so the text lines up with the labels on the sheet. You set up the label size, connect your address list (usually an Excel spreadsheet), insert the address fields once, and Word fills every label for you. This guide walks through the whole process in Word for Microsoft 365, Word 2021, 2019 and 2016, including formatting, previewing, printing a test sheet, and fixing common problems.

Quick Answer

In Word, go to Mailings > Start Mail Merge > Labels, choose Avery US Letter (or Avery A4/A5) and your product number, and click OK. Click Select Recipients > Use an Existing List to pick your Excel file, click Address Block to insert the address in the first label, then click Update Labels, Preview Results, and Finish & Merge > Print Documents.

Step 1: Prepare Your Address List

Word can merge from Excel, a CSV file, Outlook contacts, or a list you type in Word. Excel is the most common. Set up the sheet like this:

• Put column headings in row 1, such as First Name, Last Name, Address, City, State, ZIP.
• Put one person or business per row, with no blank rows in the middle.
• Format ZIP code columns as Text so leading zeros (such as 02134) aren’t dropped.
• Save and close the workbook before you start the merge.

Step 2: Choose Your Avery Label Size

1. Open a new blank document in Word.
2. Click the Mailings tab, then Start Mail Merge > Labels.
3. Under Label vendors, choose Avery US Letter (or Avery A4/A5 outside North America).
4. Under Product number, select the number printed on your label package, for example 5160 or 8160 for standard 30-per-sheet address labels. Many Avery products share a layout, so the package may list an equivalent number.
5. Select your printer type (page printers is typical) and tray, then click OK.

Word fills the page with a table in the shape of your label sheet. Turn on gridlines to see the labels: Table Layout > View Gridlines.

Step 3: Connect Your Address List

1. Click Select Recipients > Use an Existing List.
2. Browse to your Excel file and click Open.
3. Choose the sheet that holds your list, keep First row of data contains column headers checked, and click OK.
4. Optional: click Edit Recipient List to uncheck people you don’t want, sort by ZIP code, or filter the list.

Every label except the first now shows «Next Record», which tells Word to move to the next row.

Step 4: Add the Address Fields

1. Click in the first label.
2. Click Address Block, check the preview on the right, and click OK. If the preview looks wrong, click Match Fields and tell Word which columns hold each part of the address.
3. Or, for full control, click Insert Merge Field and insert fields one at a time, typing spaces, commas and line breaks between them, for example: «First_Name» «Last_Name», then Enter, «Address», Enter, «City», «State» «ZIP».
4. Format the first label now: font, size, alignment. To center text vertically, select the table and choose Table Layout > Align Center Left or Align Center.
5. Click Update Labels to copy the first label’s layout to all the others.

Step 5: Preview and Print a Test Sheet

1. Click Preview Results to see real names and addresses. Use the arrows to scroll through records.
2. Print one page on plain paper first. Hold it against a label sheet up to a light to check alignment.
3. If the test lines up, load the label sheets. Check your printer’s instructions for which side faces up.

Step 6: Finish the Merge

• Finish & Merge > Print Documents sends all labels straight to the printer.
• Finish & Merge > Edit Individual Documents > All creates a new document with every label filled in. Use this to make last-minute edits to individual labels, or save it as a PDF.

Save the original label document too. Next time, open it, click Yes when Word asks to reconnect the data, and print again with your updated list.

Troubleshooting Avery Label Merges

• Only the first label is filled: you didn’t click Update Labels, or the other labels are missing «Next Record». Click Update Labels again.
• Text is shifted or runs off the label: make sure you chose the exact product number. Check printer settings so Scale is 100% (not Fit to page), and reduce the font size or line spacing. Set paragraph spacing to 0 pt before and after on the Layout tab.
• ZIP codes lost their leading zeros: format the column as Text in Excel, or use a Word field switch such as \# 00000.
• Blank lines where data is missing: Address Block skips empty fields automatically. With individual fields, put optional fields such as Company on their own line or use Rules > If…Then…Else.
• Can’t find your product number: use a product with the same dimensions, or click New Label in Label Options and enter the measurements from the package.

Other Ways to Make Avery Labels

• Same text on every label: use Mailings > Labels (not Start Mail Merge), type the text, choose the product, and pick Full page of the same label.
• Designed templates: see how to use an Avery template in Word for templates with graphics and backgrounds.
• Google Docs: use a label add-on; see how to make labels in Google Docs.

Related: print 30 different labels on one sheet in Word.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I start partway through a used label sheet?

Yes. In the recipient list, or in the merged document, add blank rows or blank labels at the start to skip the labels you’ve already used.

Can I add a logo or picture to each label?

Yes. Insert the picture into the first label, set its wrapping to In Line with Text, size it, then click Update Labels.

Does this work on a Mac?

Yes. In Word for Mac, go to Mailings > Start Mail Merge > Labels, and the steps are nearly identical.

Can I print return address labels with mail merge?

For the same return address on every label, use Mailings > Labels with Full page of the same label instead. It’s faster.

Summary

1. Mailings > Start Mail Merge > Labels, and pick your Avery product.
2. Select Recipients > Use an Existing List.
3. Insert Address Block in the first label.
4. Click Update Labels and Preview Results.
5. Print a test page, then Finish & Merge.