How to use Outlook for Email Merges

PREPARING YOUR COMPUTER TO USE OUTLOOK FOR EMAIL MERGE

Windows 10 users with Office 2016 or Office 2019 installed on their computer can use Microsoft Outlook to send mail-merged email messages.

Note: Mail-merged messages can be sent to any number of addresses because the Outlook configuration used bypasses Google's sending limits.

Please allow yourself time to complete the following steps:

STEP One. Enable IMAP Access and Review Label Settings in Smith Mail

Note: If you got a new or upgraded computer and you did email merge with outlook in the past you can skip step one as you have completed this in the past.

Go to Smith Mail (http://mail.smith.edu) and log in to whatever account you will use to send email merge messages, You can not do this using the delegated account.
Click the Options button (gear icon) at the top right of the Smith Mail page and choose Mail Settings.
Click the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab.
In the IMAP Access section, choose Enable IMAP.
Click Save Changes.
Go back into Mail Settings and click on the Labels tab.
To prevent unneeded messages from being copied into Outlook, un-check the Copy to IMAP box beside every label except Sent Mail. (Note that you cannot remove the check mark beside Inbox.)

Turn ON Less Secure Apps

Click the "Smith College block that includes your account initial" and select Manage your Google Account.
On the left hand side click Security.
Scroll down the page until you see the block named "Less secure app access" Click the link Turn on access (not recommended) it needs to say ON. Otherwise when you do the mail merge it will stop at every message and ask if you want to send from a less secure app.
The Google default is to automatically turn this setting OFF if it's not being used.

Step Two: Configuring Outlook: Creating an Outlook Profile

The profile you are about to make is for the purpose of sending personalized email messages. This profile will not include the Address Book or Calendar and only a limited number of mail messages in the inbox or folders. This profile is not intended to be used to manage an email account.

You will have to create at least 1 profile. If you use more than one account to send email merges you will have to create a profile for each account you use.

To create a Mail Profile, click Start, open the Control Panel then open the Mail (Micrsoft Outlook 2016 or 201919) icon.
Click the Show Profile button then click Add.
Type a profile name that represents the account you use most often to send email merges. Click OK. For example I read 4its mail, I could create the account Smith-4its.

The Auto Account Setup Window appears. At the bottom of this window click the Manually configure server settings or additional server types. Click Next.
Choose your Account Type: Select Pop or Imap, Click Next.
Pop and Imap Accounts Settings are as follows:

Your name: is just that your name or an account name

Email Address: includes the username@smith.edu

Account Type: select IMAP from the drop down.

Incoming mail server: imap.gmail.com

Outgoing mail server (SMTP): smtp.smith.edu

User Name: must include the username@smith.edu

Password: type the account password. Click Remember password.

Click More Settings then the Advanced tab. Change the Incoming Server (IMAP): to be 993. Click the drop-down tab next to Use the following type of encrypted connection and select SSL. Look a little further down at the Sent Items, if you want a copy of the sent message, make sure to this box is not checked. Leave the rest as is and click OK.

Click Next. Outlook will test your settings. You will see a log for testing incoming mail and sending email. If both come back with Green check marks you can send from Outlook. The system will send a test message to the account you setup. Note: if either test fails and returns a red X, go back and review what you typed.

When it completes, click Close. Then click Finish. If you have to add a second account DO NOT CLICK ADD, as it will add the incoming email to the first account. You need to repeat these steps to create a second profile.
Outlook will show you the Profile selection window you began with; your new profile will be selected.
Click the Options button to expand the window. Place a check mark in Set as default profile only if you send from one account.

If you need to create a second account for mail merge sending click New and repeat these instructions for creating a Profile. Otherwise click OK and Outlook will start. Please wait as Outlook receives the email for the profile you just created. If you have created more than one profile be sure to change the Options to Prompt for a Profile when opening Outlook. You will then be prompted each time you start Outlook for the Profile Name you want to use.
To locate Outlook go to Start and search Outlook.

Step Three: Trust Center Changes in Word and Outlook

Edit Word Trust Center

Open Word, from the File Menu select Options.

From the list on the left click Trust Center

From the Microsoft Word Trust Center section (center of the page) click the "Trust Center Settings" button.

Click Trusted Location on the left.

Put a check mark in "Allow Trusted Locations on my network. (bottom of the page)

Click OK and close the window.

Edit Outlook Trust Center

Outlook must be opened and run as Admin. Search or locate Oulook, right mouse click, on the icon and select Run as Admin. You may be prompted to allow changes, confirm yes.
From the File Menu select Options

From the list on the left click Trust Center

From the Micrsoft Outlook Trust Center section (center of the page) click "Trust Center Settings" button.

Select Programmatic Access, select Never warn me about suspicious activity

Click OK, but then go right back into the Trust Center Settings for another change.

Click E-mail Security

From the Script in Folders section make sure both are checked: Allow script in shared folders and Allow script in Public Folders.

Click OK twice.

Step Four: Beginning the email merge

Open Outlook before you do your merge, this allows you to pick a profile and for Outlook to connect to gmail and smtp.

In Word, you can now finish the email merge in HTML as plain text does not work.

The process: Word merges (you can see the countdown in the lower left corner of your Word screen) and sends the email to the Outbox in Outlook. DO NOT click the Outbox while it is processing (counting down) If you do you stop the sending process as Outlook things you want to read the Outbox mail.