Many-to-one mail merge solves a significant limitation of traditional mail merge tools—the inability to merge multiple rows of data into a single document.

Standard mail merge feature, including the one offered by Microsoft Word, follows a one-to-one approach, creating a separate document for each row in an Excel sheet. This makes it impossible to generate summarized reports, grouped invoices, or compliance documents where multiple rows belong to the same entity.

This is where eDocGen’s many-to-one mail merge comes in.

Instead of piecing together multiple documents manually, eDocGen helps businesses address this gap by grouping related data and consolidating it into structured, ready-to-use documents. Sounds like what you need? 

As you read further, here’s what you’ll gain:

• Learn how many-to-one mail merge works and how to implement it effectively.
• Explore the foundational elements required to get started.
• Follow a step-by-step guide to performing many-to-one mail merge using eDocGen.

By rethinking how data is organized, and documents are generated, many-to-one mail merge can offer benefits that traditional tools don’t yet match. Let's see how!

What is Many-to-One Mail Merge?

Many-to-one mail merge is a feature that allows you to consolidate related data from multiple rows in Excel into a single, cohesive document.

The image below shows how many-to-one mail merge transforms Excel rows into organized Word tables:

As you can see, many-to-one mail merge turns a tedious, error-prone process into something simple by grouping multiple rows of data into one cohesive, personalized document.

Let’s take a closer look at a case with and without many-to-one mail merge to really understand the difference!

Scenario: Generating Sales Reports

John, a sales manager, is tasked with preparing monthly performance summaries for his team.

Each sales rep on his team closed multiple deals during the month, resulting in a total of 25 individual documents being generated when using traditional tools like Microsoft Word. However, what John needed were just five consolidated reports—one for each rep.

The Outcome Without Many-to-One Mail Merge:

Without many-to-one mail merge, John faces challenges such as:

❌ Spent hours manually consolidating individual documents.❌ Higher chances of errors due to repeated manual edits.❌ Wasted time that could’ve been used on more important tasks.

The Solution With eDocGen’s Many-to-One Mail Merge:

With many-to-one mail merge, the entire process became much simpler as it:

✅ Automatically groups data for each sales rep into one consolidated document.✅ Generates just five reports (one per sales rep), saving significant time.✅ Cuts out manual edits, making the process accurate and efficient.

By now, you’ve probably spotted how this could work for you and are wondering how to get started. So, let’s quickly walk you through exactly how to make it happen with eDocGen.

Set up Foundation in for Many-to-One Mail Merge in eDocGen

Before starting, it’s important to understand a few essential components required to function effectively in eDocGen. These include a dynamic Word template, a structured data file, and the ability to map automatically and group rows within the system.

1. Sample Template

The image below illustrates a sample many-to-one mail merge template.

A dynamic Word template includes placeholders that define how data is inserted. Key components such as invoice headers, company name, item descriptions, and amounts are tagged using {#tablename} and {/tablename}, to tell the system how to organize the data.

2. Uploading a Word Template

Next comes uploading the Word template into eDocGen. The system provides an easy-to-use interface where users can drag and drop the template or upload it directly from Google Drive, Dropbox, or Evernote. 

The image below shows how the template upload process works in eDocGen.

3. Excel File Setup

The image below shows a sample Excel file with columns like Invoice Number, Company Name, Email, Item Description, and Amount. Each company has multiple rows, representing different items linked to the same invoice.

For example:

• Company A has one invoice entry.
• Company B has two invoice items (Product Fees X, Product Fees Y).
• Company C has five invoice items (Product Fees 1, 2, 3, 4, 5).

eDocGen groups related rows based on a common identifier (e.g., Invoice Number or Company Name) and consolidates them into a single document per entity instead of generating separate files for each row.

Once you’ve understood how these foundational elements are placed, we’re ready to move on to the step-by-step process of performing a many-to-one mail merge with eDocGen.

How to Perform Many-to-One Mail Merge in eDocGen

Getting started with eDocGen’s many-to-one mail merge is surprisingly simple. Offering efficiency and precision without the hassle of manual work, here’s a step-by-step guide to get started:

Step 1: Upload Your Data File

Start by selecting the ‘document creation from Excel’ option and uploading your data file.

Note:

• eDocGen supports both horizontal and vertical data structures, ensuring flexibility regardless of how your data is formatted.
• The system automatically detects related rows and groups them based on common identifiers like Invoice Number or Company Name, eliminating the need for manual adjustments.

Step 2: Populate the MS Word Template

Once the data file is uploaded, the next step is to upload the Word template that defines the structure of the final document.

• The template should include dynamic tags like {#tablename} and {/tablename}, which tell eDocGen how to organize the data.
• The system loops through your data file and consolidates rows belonging to the same entity into a single document.

For example:

• Company A receives one document with its invoice details.
• Company B receives one document consolidating its two invoice items.
• Company C receives one document containing all five of its invoice items.

Each document includes the relevant items and invoice amounts. Below is an example of a populated invoice table for Customer 3.

While this example shows a simple scenario, eDocGen supports advanced features to meet more complex needs, such as:

• Automatic calculations (e.g., totals and percentages) built into your templates.
• Populating multiple tables within a single document.
• Conditional statements to dynamically adjust content.

Step 3: Customize Document Formatting

eDocGen allows additional customization options to meet specific business requirements.

Feature	Description
Conditional Formatting	Automatically adjust document content based on specific data inputs.
Multi-Table Population	Merge multiple sections of data into different parts of a document.
Auto-Calculations	Generate totals, percentages, or computed values directly in the document.
Multi-Language Support	Generate documents in different languages for global use.
Embedded Elements	Add QR codes, barcodes, images, and HTML blocks for personalized documents.

Step 4: Document Distribution

Once the documents are generated, eDocGen provides multiple options for efficient distribution.

• Email – Send documents as PDF/Word attachments or embed them directly within an email.
• Print-Ready Files – Generate print-ready versions for physical distribution.
• Cloud & Integration – Sync documents with platforms like SharePoint, OneDrive, or other cloud storage services.

It’s clear how many-to-one mail merge can transform document-heavy workflows. 

However, the most common question at this stage is—how does this feature apply in real-world scenarios? Let’s explore a few practical scenarios where many-to-one mail merge can make a meaningful difference.

Industry-Specific Use Cases of Many-to-One Mail Merge

While the benefits of eDocGen extend beyond everyday tasks, its many-to-one mail merge feature enables specific applications, from organizing operational workflows to creating detailed, data-driven documents. 

This capability is particularly valuable for industries like finance, real estate, and marketing, as explained below:

1. Finance

• Generate comprehensive portfolio summaries for clients, consolidating data from multiple investments into a single document.
• Create monthly or quarterly statements summarizing all transactions for individual clients.
• Automate financial compliance reports by grouping data into required formats for submission.

2. Real Estate

• Provide landlords with consolidated statements summarizing rent payments across multiple properties.
• Generate tenant invoices in a single document, including all monthly charges (e.g., utilities, late fees).
• Prepare detailed property reports that summarize expenses, maintenance, or rental histories.

3. Marketing and Sales

• Summarize sales performance data for each sales rep, consolidating multiple deals into one report.
• Generate personalized marketing reports for clients, showing campaign metrics or ROI summaries.
• Automate the creation of customer feedback summaries by grouping responses from surveys or campaigns.

4. General Business Use Cases

• Consolidate vendor payment records into single summaries for easy reference during audits or reporting.
• Automate customer visit summaries for service teams, providing clients with a consolidated monthly report.
• Create personalized proposals or quotes for clients by grouping relevant data from Excel into cohesive documents.

As you’ve seen, many-to-one mail merge simplifies complex document workflows across industries.

However, this is just one piece of the puzzle. eDocGen goes beyond mail merge to offer a complete document automation solution, let’s explore why it’s a must-have tool for businesses today.

Why eDocGen is a Must-Have Tool

While many-to-one mail merge is a key strength, eDocGen goes beyond traditional mail merge by automating complex document workflows, handling high-volume processing, and offering advanced customization features, all while ensuring speed, scale, and accuracy.

Here’s why eDocGen stands out:

1. Built for More Than Just Mail Merge

Unlike traditional mail merge tools, eDocGen automates grouped data processing, eliminating manual formatting, merging, and adjustments. It goes beyond simple data insertion by enabling:

• Automated calculations ensure accurate totals without manual number crunching.
• Dynamic content embedding allows you to integrate tables, images, QR codes, and charts into documents.
• Structured document generation consolidates multiple rows of data into a single, organized document instead of separate files.

2. Scalable Document Automation for High-Volume Workflows

Supporting businesses that need a solution that scales effortlessly, eDocGen ensures:

• Thousands of documents can be processed in minutes without performance slowdowns.
• Real-time API automation generates documents instantly and integrates them into live workflows.
• Enterprise-ready distribution allows you to send documents via email, cloud storage, or internal business systems.
• Multi-language support helps generate documents in different languages, including RTL scripts like Arabic and Hebrew.

3. Simple and Accessible

Unlike other platforms that require technical expertise or IT support, eDocGen is designed for simplicity:

• No complex setup is needed as you can just upload your data, set up templates, and generate documents in a few clicks.
• Automatic data grouping merges Excel data into structured Word templates without manual effort.
• Instant document distribution allows you to download or send files directly from your business email.

This means any team member can start using eDocGen immediately, saving time and effort while eliminating unnecessary manual work.

Ready to give it a try? 

Linkwith the team at eDocGen today and see the difference for yourself.