{"id":15968,"date":"2010-11-09T11:50:20","date_gmt":"2010-11-09T06:20:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/?p=15968"},"modified":"2026-10-07T07:22:07","modified_gmt":"2026-10-07T01:52:07","slug":"personalize-your-mass-mail-with-thunderbird","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/11\/personalize-your-mass-mail-with-thunderbird\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Do a Thunderbird Mail Merge: Send Personalised Emails (2026)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Want to send personalised emails to a list of people, with each message addressed by name, without typing them one by one? Thunderbird mail merge does exactly that. With the free <strong>Mail Merge<\/strong> add-on for Mozilla Thunderbird, you write one template, pull names and other details from a spreadsheet, and Thunderbird creates and sends an individual email to each recipient. Here&#8217;s how to do a Thunderbird mail merge in 2026, step by step.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-15971\" src=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/personal-mail-draft-message.png\" alt=\"Thunderbird mail merge draft with placeholders\" width=\"500\" height=\"355\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/personal-mail-draft-message.png 500w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/personal-mail-draft-message-300x213.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Quick answer:<\/strong> Install the <a href=\"https:\/\/addons.thunderbird.net\/en-US\/thunderbird\/addon\/mail-merge\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mail Merge add-on<\/a>, write a message with placeholders like <code>{{FirstName}}<\/code>, put your recipients in a CSV file with matching column headings, then click <strong>Mail Merge<\/strong> in the compose window, choose the CSV file and send (or save as drafts to check first).<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_88 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6ac8d7ae0e8a4\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"ez-toc-cssicon\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #1a202c;color:#1a202c\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #1a202c;color:#1a202c\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6ac8d7ae0e8a4\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/11\/personalize-your-mass-mail-with-thunderbird\/#Why_use_Thunderbird_mail_merge\" >Why use Thunderbird mail merge?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/11\/personalize-your-mass-mail-with-thunderbird\/#Step_1_Install_the_Mail_Merge_add-on\" >Step 1: Install the Mail Merge add-on<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/11\/personalize-your-mass-mail-with-thunderbird\/#Step_2_Create_your_recipient_list_CSV\" >Step 2: Create your recipient list (CSV)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/11\/personalize-your-mass-mail-with-thunderbird\/#Step_3_Write_your_template\" >Step 3: Write your template<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/11\/personalize-your-mass-mail-with-thunderbird\/#Step_4_Run_the_mail_merge\" >Step 4: Run the mail merge<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/11\/personalize-your-mass-mail-with-thunderbird\/#Tips_to_avoid_problems\" >Tips to avoid problems<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/11\/personalize-your-mass-mail-with-thunderbird\/#Frequently_asked_questions\" >Frequently asked questions<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/11\/personalize-your-mass-mail-with-thunderbird\/#Is_Thunderbird_mail_merge_free\" >Is Thunderbird mail merge free?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/11\/personalize-your-mass-mail-with-thunderbird\/#Can_I_schedule_a_mail_merge_for_later\" >Can I schedule a mail merge for later?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/11\/personalize-your-mass-mail-with-thunderbird\/#Does_Thunderbird_mail_merge_work_with_Gmail_accounts\" >Does Thunderbird mail merge work with Gmail accounts?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_use_Thunderbird_mail_merge\"><\/span>Why use Thunderbird mail merge?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>If you put everyone in the To or BCC field, every person gets exactly the same message. Mail merge creates a separate email for each person, so you can add their name, company, invoice number or any other detail. Each recipient sees only their own address, which also protects everyone&#8217;s privacy. It&#8217;s ideal for event invitations, club newsletters, client updates, job applications and small business announcements.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_1_Install_the_Mail_Merge_add-on\"><\/span>Step 1: Install the Mail Merge add-on<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li>Open <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thunderbird.net\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mozilla Thunderbird<\/a> and go to <strong>Tools \u2192 Add-ons and Themes<\/strong> (or the \u2261 menu).<\/li>\n<li>Search for <strong>Mail Merge<\/strong> by Alexander Bergmann and click <strong>Add to Thunderbird<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>Restart Thunderbird if asked.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>The add-on is free and regularly updated. Version 11.5 (March 2026) supports Thunderbird 140 ESR and the latest monthly releases.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_2_Create_your_recipient_list_CSV\"><\/span>Step 2: Create your recipient list (CSV)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>In Excel, Google Sheets or LibreOffice Calc, put your column names in the first row, such as <strong>Email<\/strong>, <strong>FirstName<\/strong> and <strong>Company<\/strong>, with one recipient per row below. Save or download it as a <strong>CSV (UTF-8)<\/strong> file.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-15976\" src=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/csv-table.png\" alt=\"CSV file for Thunderbird mail merge\" width=\"500\" height=\"114\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/csv-table.png 500w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/csv-table-300x68.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>You can also use a Thunderbird address book or a JSON file as the data source.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_3_Write_your_template\"><\/span>Step 3: Write your template<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li>Click <strong>Write<\/strong> to open a new message.<\/li>\n<li>In the <strong>To<\/strong> field, type <code>{{Email}}<\/code> (matching your email column name).<\/li>\n<li>Write the subject and body, and insert placeholders in double curly braces wherever you want personal details, for example: <code>Hi {{FirstName}}, thanks for working with {{Company}}...<\/code><\/li>\n<li>Placeholder names must match the CSV headings exactly, including capitals and spaces. Add attachments if needed.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_4_Run_the_mail_merge\"><\/span>Step 4: Run the mail merge<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li>In the compose window, click the <strong>Mail Merge<\/strong> button (or find it in the <strong>File<\/strong> menu).<\/li>\n<li>Choose <strong>CSV<\/strong> as the source and select your file, checking the character set and field separator (comma or semicolon).<\/li>\n<li>Pick a <strong>Delivery Mode<\/strong>: <strong>Save As Draft<\/strong> to review messages first, <strong>Send Later<\/strong> to put them in the Outbox, or <strong>Send Now<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>Optionally set a pause between messages, then click <strong>OK<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-15969\" src=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/outbox-personal-mail.png\" alt=\"personalised mail merge messages in Thunderbird Outbox\" width=\"500\" height=\"272\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/outbox-personal-mail.png 500w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/outbox-personal-mail-300x163.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>If you chose Send Later, use <strong>File \u2192 Send Unsent Messages<\/strong> to send everything in the Outbox. Always test with a small list that includes your own address first.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Tips_to_avoid_problems\"><\/span>Tips to avoid problems<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Respect sending limits:<\/strong> Gmail, Outlook.com and most hosts limit how many emails you can send per day. Use the pause option, and use a proper email marketing service for large lists.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Only email people who expect it<\/strong> to avoid spam complaints, and include a way to opt out for newsletters.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Check placeholders:<\/strong> a typo leaves <code>{{FirstName}}<\/code> visible in the email. Save as drafts and check a few before sending.<\/li>\n<li>Prefer Gmail? Its <strong>Mail merge<\/strong> feature in some Google Workspace plans, or <a href=\"https:\/\/yamm.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Yet Another Mail Merge<\/a> for Google Sheets, are alternatives.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Frequently_asked_questions\"><\/span>Frequently asked questions<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_Thunderbird_mail_merge_free\"><\/span>Is Thunderbird mail merge free?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Yes. Thunderbird and the Mail Merge add-on are both free.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_I_schedule_a_mail_merge_for_later\"><\/span>Can I schedule a mail merge for later?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Choose <strong>Send Later<\/strong> or <strong>Save As Draft<\/strong>, then send when you\u2019re ready. See more ways to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2005\/12\/send-email-messages-in-future\/\">schedule emails to send in the future<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Does_Thunderbird_mail_merge_work_with_Gmail_accounts\"><\/span>Does Thunderbird mail merge work with Gmail accounts?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Yes. It sends through whichever account you write from in Thunderbird, including Gmail and Outlook, subject to their daily sending limits.<\/p>\n<p><em>Originally written by guest blogger Paul Adrian Gonzalez, a senior author and editor who uses Thunderbird to manage his busy inbox. Updated for 2026 by the QuickOnlineTips team.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Want to send personalised emails to a list of people, with each message addressed by name, without typing them one&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":15971,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"default","_kad_post_title":"default","_kad_post_layout":"default","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"default","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"default","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[44,49],"class_list":["post-15968","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tips","tag-guest-posts","tag-tutorials"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15968","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15968"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15968\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":63384,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15968\/revisions\/63384"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15971"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15968"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15968"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15968"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}