There is a proper way of adding and editing a merge field for it to work when creating document templates. If done incorrectly, document templates will either fail to generate or data will not auto populate or at times, you will get error 500.
Adding a Merge Field
1. On the Insert Menu in Word Document, click on Quick Parts, then Fields.
2. Select MergeField in the Field names area and enter the name of the field to be displayed then click Ok.
In this example, we are adding the merge field called WorkUndertaken.
Note: The field name needs to be in exactly the same format as listed in the table of available fields. See Document Template User Guide for a list of available field names. |
3. After adding the merge field, you should see it in a unique format like the one shown below and when you click on it, it should automatically highlight the entire merge field.
Note: Copying and pasting the merge field and changing it to a different name does not work as it only changes the physical component of the merge field but not the actual command associated with it.
Repeat steps 1 and 2 when adding another merge field.
Editing a Merge Field
You can edit a merge field if it’s not working or auto populating the information. This happens when there is a typo or merge field may have not been added correctly.
1. Right click on the merge field and select Edit Field.
2. Under Field name, you can make a correction or even replace the field name if necessary and once done, click OK.
Most common examples when a correction is needed are;
- a typo on the field name that needs correction
- a space between two words that need to be removed. Remember field names should have no spaces in between.
- an incorrect field name and this occurs when some you copy and paste a merge field instead of using the Insert function in Microsoft Word.
Note: You can also apply formatting changes like increase font size, change font style, etc. by doing right click, and adjust accordingly.
