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Q: Email Merge with Word & Outlook ( Answered 5 out of 5 stars,   0 Comments )
Question  
Subject: Email Merge with Word & Outlook
Category: Computers > Software
Asked by: jmhines123-ga
List Price: $25.00
Posted: 12 Feb 2003 12:18 PST
Expires: 14 Mar 2003 12:18 PST
Question ID: 160574
I want to know what the capacity issues are when using WORD to creat
merge letters to be sent by email thru OUTLOOK.  I have tested this in
small volume and it works fine.  How many can word & outlook handle? 
What are the contraints that would cap the practicle use of
Word/outlook for personalized email blasting.  Beyond word & outlook,
are their machine considerations/limitations or bandwidth issues?  (We
have state of the art computes and a T1 for traffic).

To put the question in perspective -would it be unreasonable to send
20,000 emails in a day?

Thanks!
GREAT ANSWERS GET GREAT TIPS

Request for Question Clarification by answerguru-ga on 12 Feb 2003 15:59 PST
Hi there,

I would definitely say there are machine constraints on the capability
of this function, but this being a Microsoft product you are unlikely
to find any admission of this defect. What kind of information would
suffciently answer your question?

Thanks,
answerguru-ga
Answer  
Subject: Re: Email Merge with Word & Outlook
Answered By: theta-ga on 13 Feb 2003 12:20 PST
Rated:5 out of 5 stars
 
Hi jmhines123-ga,
   The various limits of the Office programs vary with their versions,
and can be found documented in the accompanying online help. For
example, to find the limits for Word XP/2002 :
    - Click Microsoft Word Help on the Help menu.
    - Type "limits for Word" in the Office Assistant or the Answer
Wizard.
    - Click Search to view the topic.

   There are, as such, no in-built limits on the number of emails that
can be sent using the Mail Merge feature. So, keeping your setup in
mind, 20000 emails a day are quite possible. For further proof, check
out the following Google Groups postings :
         - Subject: Mail merge to send broadcast e-mail
           Newsgroup: microsoft.public.word.mailmerge.fields
(http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&threadm=%235nWMVxhCHA.2108%40tkmsftngp12&rnum=1)

         - ( Mail Merge with upto 17000 records! )
           Subject: Mail Merge - Is there a limit on no. of pages
           Newsgroup: microsoft.public.word.newusers
( http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&threadm=94ju4p%24ifm%241%40news7.svr.pol.co.uk&rnum=3
)

         - ( Mail Merge with upto 70000 records! )
           Subject: Mail Merge woes
           Newsgroup: microsoft.public.word.newusers
( http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&threadm=ejdzSvoPCHA.2048%40tkmsftngp08&rnum=4
)

+------------------------------------------+

   Some of the things you need to keep in mind while using Outlook and
Word for Mail Merge are :
    - The number of Mail Merge fields you will need. The following MS
KnowledgeBase article discusses the factors you need to keep in mind
with MS Word :
       - HOW TO: Design and Set Up a Mail Merge Address List in Word
2002
         ( http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;294688#9)

    - Whether you need to send attachments with your emails or not,
because as of now, the Mailmerge feature does not support them. You
will have to attach them yourself in Outlook(which can be a pain for
20000 emails), or use a third party tool.

    - Another problem is that some newer versions of Outlook require
you to click 'Yes' for every message you send using Mail Merge. This
can quickly grow irritating for a large number of messages. Also, the
hyperlinks in your HTML emails may also be disabled. You can find
solutions and workarounds for these problems in the following
articles:
              - To start a Word letter from an Outlook contact
                ( http://www.slipstick.com/contacts/startletter.htm#ol2kmerge
)
              - Outlook Email Security Update
                ( http://www.slipstick.com/outlook/esecup.htm )
              
+------------------------------------+

 Beyond Word and Outlook, some of the other things you need to
consider are:
   - Memory : The mailmerge feature is memory intensive, more so
depending on the number of mailmerge fields you utilize. From the
above MS KB article: "The configuration of your computer and the
available memory may also limit the number of fields that you can
insert in your data document". 256 MB or above recommended.
   - Free Hard Disk Space: Files created by the Mail Merge feature
often gobble up large chunks of your hard-disk space. Also, if you
utilise the 'save messages in the Sent folder', all these messages
will be stored on your HDD, and believe me, 20000 mail messages can
easily fill up GB's of HDD space.
   - Your ISP/Mail Account : Some ISP's restrict the maximum number of
emails that can be sent at a time from their account, to 25-50. This
is done to prevent spammers fromusing their accounts, and exceeding
this limit could lead to a cancellation of your account. So, check
with your ISP first. An alternative solution could be to setup and use
your own SMTP mailserver. A Google Groups posting discussing this
problem is:
            - Subject: IP and Outlook email (bulk emails)
              Newsgroup: microsoft.public.outlook.general
              ( http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&threadm=%23w5F5phzCHA.2684%40TK2MSFTNGP11&rnum=28
)

+------------------------------------+

Hope this helps.
If you need any clarifications, please don't hesitate to ask.

Regards,
Theta-ga

=====================================
Google/Google Groups Search Terms Used :
   outlook "mail merge" maximum
   "mail merge" constraints word outlook
   "limits for word" mail merge
   mail merge limit email
jmhines123-ga rated this answer:5 out of 5 stars and gave an additional tip of: $20.00
Great anwser.  Lots of good information.  Thankyou.

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