Add a gift link to a Gmail or Outlook mail merge

The template

Gmail's built-in mail merge (Google Workspace) uses @email and @firstname:

https://www.giasgiraffes.com/l/your-link?e=@email&n=@firstname&c=Q4%20outbound

Outlook through Word's mail merge uses Word merge fields named after your data's columns. A merge field inside a link only works inside a HYPERLINK field (Microsoft KB 912679):

{ HYPERLINK "https://www.giasgiraffes.com/l/your-link?e={ MERGEFIELD Email_Address }&n={ MERGEFIELD First_Name }&c=Q4%20outbound" }

• e fills in the recipient's email. They still confirm it with a 6-digit code before they claim.
• n greets them by first name.
• c is your campaign tag. Only you see it. Spaces are written as %20.

A short email to start from:

Hi @firstname,

Thanks for taking a look at what we do. As a thank-you for your time,
pick a gift on us from small independent brands. You choose what arrives.

Pick your gift: <your link from above>

<your name>

In Word, put «First_Name» where Gmail has @firstname.

What you need

• A Gia's Giraffes account (Free or Pro) with one active GG Link. To make one, open GG Links → New GG Link, then set the budget, the headline and how many people can claim.
• For Gmail: a Google Workspace plan with mail merge, and your recipients in Google Contacts or a linked Google Sheet.
• For Outlook: Word and Outlook on the same computer, with your recipients in Excel, Outlook contacts or a Word table.

Copy the link in Gia's Giraffes

1. Open GG Links and find your active link.
2. Click Copy link with merge fields.
3. Under Tool, pick Gmail mail merge or Outlook mail merge.
4. Type a Campaign tag, for example "Q4 outbound". It defaults to the link's name.
5. Click Copy link.

Paste it into Gmail

1. Compose a new email and turn on mail merge in the recipients field, then add your recipients from Contacts or a Sheet.
2. Write the email, or paste the template above.
3. Select the words to link, click Insert link and paste the link.
4. Open the merged preview for one recipient. The link must show their real email and first name. If it still says @email, Gmail hasn't filled the link: merge from a link column instead (below).

Paste it into Word for Outlook

1. In Word, start Mailings → Start Mail Merge → E-mail Messages, and pick your recipient list.
2. Write the email. Where the link goes, press Ctrl+F9 (on a Mac, Cmd+F9) for an empty pair of field braces and type the HYPERLINK template above inside it. Insert each MERGEFIELD with Insert Merge Field, so the names match your columns.
3. Press Alt+F9 (on a Mac, Option+F9) to switch back from field codes, then Preview Results for one recipient and click the link.
4. Finish & Merge → Send E-mail Messages, with the email column as To and the format HTML, so Outlook sends one email per row.

No merge tags: a link column

If a merge won't fill a link, give it the finished links instead:

1. In Gia's Giraffes, open GG Links and click Personalize a prospect CSV on your link.
2. Upload your recipient list as a CSV and download it back with a gg_link column for every row.
3. Use that file (or paste the column into your Sheet) as the merge source, and link to the gg_link column: @gg_link in Gmail, { MERGEFIELD gg_link } in Word.

The file is read in your browser, and nothing is stored or created.

See who claimed, by campaign

Every claim lands on the link's card in GG Links, tagged with the campaign you typed:

• The card reads, for example, "12 claims · 3 campaigns". Open it for the count per campaign; claims without a tag are listed as "No campaign".
• See who claimed shows each claimant with a Campaign column and a campaign filter.
• On Pro, the leads CSV has the same Campaign column.

The tag is only for you. Your prospect never sees it.

Free and Pro

• Free: one active GG Link with up to 5 claims. You can still put that one link in a sequence to any number of prospects, personalized for each.
• Pro: unlimited GG Links with up to 500 claims each, the leads CSV, the API and the Zapier app. $19.99 per user per month, with a 14-day free trial.

On either plan you pay only for gifts that are accepted, and the recipient never sees a price.

FAQ

Does a prospect need an account to claim a gift from my mail merge email?

No. They open the link, pick a gift, confirm their email with a 6-digit code and enter a shipping address. They never see a price.

What happens if the merge fields don't fill in?

The link still works. An unfilled variable is ignored, so the prospect sees the plain claim page and types their own name and email. Send yourself a test to catch it before the sequence goes out.

Can a prospect change the email in the link?

Yes. The email in the link is only a prefill. Whoever claims confirms the address they type with a code, and your link's rules (one gift per email or company, the claim cap) still apply.

Does putting the link in a sequence count as sending gifts?

No. Personalizing a link creates nothing and costs nothing. A claim counts toward the link's cap, and you're charged only when a gift is accepted.

Does Gmail's mail merge work on a personal Gmail account?

Gmail's built-in mail merge comes with Google Workspace plans. On a personal account, use a mail-merge add-on with a link column (the CSV above).

Why does Outlook need a HYPERLINK field?

Word turns a plain link into a fixed hyperlink before the merge, so the merge fields inside it never fill in. A HYPERLINK field is rebuilt for each recipient.