How do I create Word mail merge template using plain text?

Aubrey Schoenfeld

Hi all, does anyone know how to create a Word merge template using plain text merge fields?

I'm playing around with some power automate stuff and am trying to create a Word merge acknowledgment letter template. However, apparently PA doesn't support rich text, which I gather is what the typical merge fields are if you are in Word and select the "Insert Merge Field" dropdown. But when I try to use a plain text version, I can't actually get anything to merge, I just wind up with the text that I typed into the merge box. Please see the included image (and pretend I didn't spell addressee with 3 E's in the tag section, I have since fixed that).

Ben Regier

@Aubrey Schoenfeld
Is your goal to have a letter that includes some data from a Power Automate flow and some other data from a merge data source? Or is all the dynamic data coming from Power Automate?

If all the data is coming from Power Automate, you don't actually need to use the merge fields in Word at all. Although we call these “merge letters", really they are just Word templates that we're using Power Automate to populate. We're not using the mail merge functionality at all.

So instead of using merge fields, just use plain text controls for all the dynamic bits. Then in your flow once you add the action that fills out a Word template, you'll be able to select what data ends up where.

Hope that makes sense.