Mail Merge: Blank Lines Not Suppressed in Included Document

The information in this article applies to:

• Microsoft Word for Windows, versions 6.0, 6.0a, 6.0c

SYMPTOMS

If you include a document that contains MERGEFIELD fields in your mail merge main document, Word for Windows does not suppress blank lines in the included document. (To include a document, insert an INCLUDETEXT field or choose File from the Insert menu, select the file, select the Link To File option, and then choose OK.)

In other words, the Don't Print Blank Lines When Data Fields Are Empty option has no effect on the MERGEFIELD fields in an included document.

STATUS

We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

WORKAROUND

Create a conditional IF statement in the original document that will suppress blank lines when the data fields are empty, as in the following example

   {Mergefield Name}<p>
   {Mergefield Address} {if {mergefield Address2} <> "" "<p>
   {mergefield Address2}"}<p>
   {Mergefield City}, {Mergefield State} {Mergefield Zip}

REFERENCES

"Microsoft Word User's Guide," version 6.0, pages 694, 701-702