Thunderbird

You can either go through the slides OR read through the step-by-step directions below on how to use Mail Merge with Thunderbird.

Download Thunderbird

1. Navigate to the Thunderbird download site.

2. Click the "Free Download" button

3. Open the downloaded file to install Thunderbird

Install "Mail Merge" Add-on

1. Click on the "Tools" menu and choose "Add-ons"

2. Search for "Mail Merge", the correct result was created by Alexander Bergmann

3. Click "Install"

4. Restart Thunderbird

Set up your email account in Thunderbird

1. Open Thunderbird

2. File > Existing Mail Account

3. Enter your email address and password

4. Click "Continue"

5. Click Done

6. On the Google screen that pops up, enter your email address and password to log in

7. Click “Allow” on the screen that pops up

Download your class email list as a CSV (Comma Separated Values) file

Compose a draft with variable fields and send emails from Thunderbird

1. Click the "Write" button to type a new message (or "File -> New -> Message")

2. Type the message you would like to send (type it as if you are writing it to one specific person)

3. Create variables to personalize your message by surrounding the personalized information with "{{" and "}}"

4. -- For example: "Hello {{Parent First Name}}, I am {{Student First Name}}'s teacher. Currently {{Student First Name}} has a {{Grade}} in my class."

5. -- Each variable needs to exactly match a column heading in your spreadsheet.

6. Add the Variable {{Email}} to "To" field of the message

7. Add the Subject (You can also use variables in the subject, for example "{{Student First Name}}'s progress report"")

8. Add the Attachments (optional)

9. Click "File -> Mail Merge"

10. In the "Source" dropdown box, select "CSV"

11. In the "Deliver Mode" dropdown box, choose "Send Later"

12. In the CSV Section, click "Browse" to choose the CSV file you saved of your class list.

13. Leave the "Character Set", "Field Delimiter" and "Text Delimiter" options as they are.

14. Click "OK". The Draft Message is saved as a Template in your Current Account and for each Recipient a New Message is saved in your Outbox ("Local Folders -> Outbox").

15. Click on your "Outbox" to see the email messages you have created. Check a few messages to make sure they merged correctly.

16. If something is wrong, you can delete the messages, make changes, and repeat the process.

17. If everything is correct you can deliver the messages by right-clicking the outbox and choosing "Send Unsent Messages"

Congratulations -- you have sent a personalized email merge.

Creating a Mail Merge with Google Sheets

Create a class email list (One-time setup)

1. Open the Email List Generator spreadsheet I sent you.

2. Make sure you have clicked on the "Class" tab at the bottom

3. Log in to Synergy

4. From the seating chart page, click "Reports"

5. Click on the pencil & paper icon next to "Class List"

6. In the window that pops up, under the "Teacher" field, type your last name

7. Click the "Sort/Output" tab at the top, and choose "Excel" from the "File Type" drop-down box.

8. Click the "Print" button.

9. Open the downloaded file

10. Select the data contained on the spreadsheet and copy it (ctrl + C)

11. Paste it (Ctrl + V) into the Email List Generator spreadsheet I sent you in the box that says "Paste Class List Here"

12. Select the "AllParent" tab at the bottom of the Email List Generator spreadsheet.

13. Press Ctrl + A to select All of the data on the spreadsheet

14. Click the arrow next to the Funnel icon and choose "Create New Filter View", small blue drop-down arrows will appear in the top right corner of each column

15. Click on the blue arrow at the top of the "Teacher Column"

16. Under "Filter by values", click "Clear", then click your name on the list (a check mark should appear next to your name", click "OK".

17. The spreadsheet will now show only students in your class.

18. Select all the information in the spreadsheet and copy it (Ctrl + C)

19. Click the "MyClass" tab at the bottom of the spreadsheet

20. Right-click in Cell A1 of the "MyClass" sheet; choose "Paste Special", then "Paste values only".

21. This is your class email list.

Open your Class List Spreadsheet in Google Docs and install the Yet Another Mail Merge Add-on

1. Click the "Add to Drive" icon on the top of the document

2. Click on "Add-ons" in the Spreadsheet menu.

3. Choose "Get add-ons"

4. Search for "Yet Another Mail Merge"

5. Click on the "+Free" button to install the add-on

6. Scroll down on the pop-up window and click "Allow".

Compose an email draft with variable fields

1. Log in to Gmail

2. Click "Compose" to start a new email

3. Leave the "To" field blank

4. Give the email a subject

5. Type an email as if you were speaking to just one person.

6. Ex: "Hello Ms. Jones, I am Johnny's Algebra I teacher."

7. For any information that you would like to personalize with a variable, type the column heading, surrounded by 2 brackets.

8. Ex: "Hello <<Title>> <<Parent Last Name>>, I am <<Student First Name>>'s Algebra I teacher.

9. The Variables in the email must match the column headings from the spreadsheet exactly. They are case sensitive.

10. Tip: You can also include variables in your subject line if you want to personalize it.

11. Ex: <<First Name>>'s permission slip

Send email merge

1. Open the spreadsheet with your email list

2. Click "Add-ons", choose "Yet Another Mail Merge", then "Start Mail Merge"

3. Type your name in the "Sender Name" box

4. When the circles stop spinning, click the drop down box next to "Email Template".

5. Choose the draft you created.

6. CLICK "SEND ME A TEST EMAIL". It's always a good idea to test the email before sending it.

7. Go to your Gmail inbox and check the test email to make sure that all the variable fields filled correctly. Fix any mistakes

8. Return to your email list spreadsheet, click "Send Emails".

Track opened emails

1. Once you send the emails, a panel will appear to the right of the spreadsheet showing which emails have been opened.

2. You can refresh this report at any time by clicking on "Add-ons", then "Yet Another Mail Merge", then "Open tracking report".

Congratulations, you've sent an email merge!