How do I run a mail merge but leave certain mergefields "unprocessed" i.e. don't remove certain mergefields conditionally

Question

Our doc preparation team uses word templates and mail merges them from a database.

However, we would like certain mergefields to be ignored so that they can be processed later from another data source.

In this basic example below the word mail merge wizard doesn't allow me to just ignore the additional field that is not in the datasource (the excel spreadsheet).

Is there a programatic way to "ignore" extranious mergefields? Or even a way to use a regular text placeholder and have it merg-in a mergefield dynamically during mailmerge?

score 1 · Answer 1 · answered Feb 25 '20 at 03:41

1

What you are asking is not possible. Even if you were to create dummy fields in your mailmerge data source so the extraneous fields don't generate errors, those same fields will be deleted when the merge is executed.

answered Feb 25 '20 at 03:41

macropod

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Ok, thanks, I'll use my own custom placeholders (strings) and do a find a replace using Aspose.Words. – GavKilbride Feb 25 '20 at 04:35
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You could use bookmarks or titled content controls, Either would be more efficient to work with than Find/Replace. – macropod Feb 25 '20 at 05:26
Thanks macropod, we settled on content controls in the end. Seems to work well. – GavKilbride Feb 26 '20 at 00:27

How do I run a mail merge but leave certain mergefields "unprocessed" i.e. don't remove certain mergefields conditionally

1 Answers1