{"appState":{"pageLoadApiCallsStatus":true},"articleState":{"article":{"headers":{"creationTime":"2016-03-26T15:31:28+00:00","modifiedTime":"2016-03-26T15:31:28+00:00","timestamp":"2022-09-14T18:05:34+00:00"},"data":{"breadcrumbs":[{"name":"Technology","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33512"},"slug":"technology","categoryId":33512},{"name":"Software","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33618"},"slug":"software","categoryId":33618},{"name":"Microsoft Products","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33642"},"slug":"microsoft-products","categoryId":33642},{"name":"Word","_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/categories/33651"},"slug":"word","categoryId":33651}],"title":"How to Preview a Merged Document in Word 2013","strippedTitle":"how to preview a merged document in word 2013","slug":"how-to-preview-a-merged-document-in-word-2013","canonicalUrl":"","seo":{"metaDescription":"You should use the Preview Results command in Word 2013to ensure that your final, merged document looks good and doesn’t require changes before it’s officially ","noIndex":0,"noFollow":0},"content":"<p class=\"EndDate\">You should use the Preview Results command in Word 2013to ensure that your final, merged document looks good and doesn’t require changes before it’s officially merged. Here’s how to work things:</p>\n<ol class=\"level-one\">\n <li><p class=\"first-para\">On the Mailings tab, in the Preview Results group, click the Preview Results command button.</p>\n<p class=\"child-para\">The fields in the main document vanish! They’re replaced by information from the first record in the recipient list. What you see on the screen is how the first customized mail-merge document appears. Hopefully, everything looks spiffy.</p>\n </li>\n <li><p class=\"first-para\">When things don’t look spiffy, click the Preview Results button again and then edit the main document. Start over. Otherwise…</p>\n </li>\n <li><p class=\"first-para\">Peruse the records.</p>\n<p class=\"child-para\">Review every merged document to ensure that everything looks right. Use the record-browsing buttons in the Preview Results group to move forward or backward through the records. Look for these problems:</p>\n <ul class=\"level-two\">\n <li><p class=\"first-para\">Formatting mistakes, such as text that obviously looks pasted in or not part of the surrounding text</p>\n </li>\n <li><p class=\"first-para\">Punctuation errors and missing commas or periods</p>\n </li>\n <li><p class=\"first-para\">Missing spaces between or around fields</p>\n </li>\n <li><p class=\"first-para\">Double fields or unwanted fields, which happen when you believe that you’ve deleted a field but haven't</p>\n </li>\n <li><p class=\"first-para\">Awkward text layouts, strange line breaks, or margins caused by missing or long fields</p>\n </li>\n </ul>\n<p class=\"child-para\">To fix any boo-boos, you must leave Preview mode and then go back and reedit the main </p>\n </li>\n <li><p class=\"first-para\">Click the Preview Results command button again to exit Preview mode.</p>\n<p class=\"child-para\">You're now ready to perform the merge.</p>\n </li>\n</ol>","description":"<p class=\"EndDate\">You should use the Preview Results command in Word 2013to ensure that your final, merged document looks good and doesn’t require changes before it’s officially merged. Here’s how to work things:</p>\n<ol class=\"level-one\">\n <li><p class=\"first-para\">On the Mailings tab, in the Preview Results group, click the Preview Results command button.</p>\n<p class=\"child-para\">The fields in the main document vanish! They’re replaced by information from the first record in the recipient list. What you see on the screen is how the first customized mail-merge document appears. Hopefully, everything looks spiffy.</p>\n </li>\n <li><p class=\"first-para\">When things don’t look spiffy, click the Preview Results button again and then edit the main document. Start over. Otherwise…</p>\n </li>\n <li><p class=\"first-para\">Peruse the records.</p>\n<p class=\"child-para\">Review every merged document to ensure that everything looks right. Use the record-browsing buttons in the Preview Results group to move forward or backward through the records. Look for these problems:</p>\n <ul class=\"level-two\">\n <li><p class=\"first-para\">Formatting mistakes, such as text that obviously looks pasted in or not part of the surrounding text</p>\n </li>\n <li><p class=\"first-para\">Punctuation errors and missing commas or periods</p>\n </li>\n <li><p class=\"first-para\">Missing spaces between or around fields</p>\n </li>\n <li><p class=\"first-para\">Double fields or unwanted fields, which happen when you believe that you’ve deleted a field but haven't</p>\n </li>\n <li><p class=\"first-para\">Awkward text layouts, strange line breaks, or margins caused by missing or long fields</p>\n </li>\n </ul>\n<p class=\"child-para\">To fix any boo-boos, you must leave Preview mode and then go back and reedit the main </p>\n </li>\n <li><p class=\"first-para\">Click the Preview Results command button again to exit Preview mode.</p>\n<p class=\"child-para\">You're now ready to perform the merge.</p>\n </li>\n</ol>","blurb":"","authors":[{"authorId":9003,"name":"Dan Gookin","slug":"dan-gookin","description":" <p><b>Dan Gookin</b> wrote the very first <i>For Dummies</i> book in 1991. 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How to Preview a Merged Document in Word 2013

By: Dan Gookin and

Updated: 03-26-2016

From The Book: Word 2013 For Dummies

Word 2013 For Dummies

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You should use the Preview Results command in Word 2013to ensure that your final, merged document looks good and doesn’t require changes before it’s officially merged. Here’s how to work things:

On the Mailings tab, in the Preview Results group, click the Preview Results command button.

The fields in the main document vanish! They’re replaced by information from the first record in the recipient list. What you see on the screen is how the first customized mail-merge document appears. Hopefully, everything looks spiffy.
When things don’t look spiffy, click the Preview Results button again and then edit the main document. Start over. Otherwise…
Peruse the records.

Review every merged document to ensure that everything looks right. Use the record-browsing buttons in the Preview Results group to move forward or backward through the records. Look for these problems:
- Formatting mistakes, such as text that obviously looks pasted in or not part of the surrounding text
- Punctuation errors and missing commas or periods
- Missing spaces between or around fields
- Double fields or unwanted fields, which happen when you believe that you’ve deleted a field but haven't
- Awkward text layouts, strange line breaks, or margins caused by missing or long fields
To fix any boo-boos, you must leave Preview mode and then go back and reedit the main
Click the Preview Results command button again to exit Preview mode.

You're now ready to perform the merge.

About This Article

This article is from the book:

Word 2013 For Dummies ,

About the book author:

Dan Gookin wrote the original For Dummies book, DOS For Dummies, in 1991 and launched a phenomenon. Since then, his list of bestsellers continues to grow. There are more than 12 million copies of his books in print, translated into 32 languages. Dan welcomes visitors at his website, www.wambooli.com.

This article can be found in the category:

Word ,