Microsoft Word offers an inbuilt feature that allows you to merge multiple Word documents into one file. If you work with various Word files that need to be merged into one final document, it will be a handy option.
Word is a popular word-processing tool used primarily to create, edit and save documents for any kind of business. Apart from creating just files, one of the most important advantages of using Microsoft Word is that you can easily analyze the feedback for the documents from multiple reviewers and rewrite them by combining multiple Word documents sent for review into one. In this article, we explain how to merge two or multiple documents in Microsoft Word easily.
How to Merge Word Documents
The inbuilt feature is part manual but useful if you want to have full control on how the documents should be merged and inserted in the final document. To make it quick, make sure to keep the documents in one place. There are two ways to merge multiple Word documents — Part of a file or multiple files with or without bookmarks.
1] Merge Multiple Word Documents (Only bookmarked text)
If you only plan to add parts of documents, make sure to add bookmarks in the source document (Insert > Links > Bookmarks). I have explained how to manage and create bookmarks at the end. The only drawback is you will have to insert them one after the other.
- Open the Word document where you need to add the rest of the documents.
- Set the cursor where you want to insert the document.
- Switch to Insert section, and click on the arrow icon next to Object under Text.
- Select the “Text from file” menu.
- It will open another window which allows you to select one or multiple files.
- You also get to set a range (Excel) or bookmark name (Word) if you only want to import only those sections of the document.
- Click Insert, and it will copy either the full document or the bookmarked section into the final document.
- Repeat the process with other documents you want to merge.
Now that you know how to insert a document, I want to help you understand one more concept—Bookmarking. It is crucial if you wish only to import part of the documents.
- Open the source document, i.e., the one you want to import.
- Select a set of paragraphs you wish to import.
- Then click on Insert > Links > Bookmarks.
- Name the bookmark which you can remember.
Do note if you do not select a text and bookmark it, then it will not be imported, or only the first line will get imported. That’s how it works. The image above shows bookmark “Merge4”, and a set of paragraphs are highlighted.
2] Merge Multiple Word Documents
The inbuilt tool allows you to select multiple files and import or merge Word Documents in bulk. The documents will merge in the same sequence you choose them, so make sure you name or arrange the sequence before importing. If you don’t, it will take a lot of time to rearrange them later.
If you want to merge multiple documents in one go, but with bookmarks, then here is a pro tip. Use the same name for all the bookmarks on all the documents. When you use the same name, then it will look for the corresponding bookmark in all the documents and import them one by one. Again, make sure to select them properly.
Merging multiple Word documents is easy compared to what we have seen with Excel files. You can choose to import part or full file one after the other.
I hope the post was easy to understand, and you will be able to merge the Word files.
How to Merge two Word documents into one
Launch Microsoft Word and open the original document which you sent for review.
In the toolbar, navigate to Review tab and click Compare.
Select the option Combine from the drop-down menu. This will pop up a secondary window that allows you to choose the two documents that you want to combine.
Under the option Original document, select the primary document that you have sent for suggestions and reviews. Make sure that you select the original documents that you have worked on that do not contain any edits and modifications from reviewers.
In the Label unmarked changes with box, type original or any phrase to know that this is the original document which was sent for review.
Under the Revised document, choose a reviewed document that you want to combine.
In the Label unmarked changes with box, write the author’s name to know who suggested the modifications.
Click More and under Show Changes in option, select the New document.
Click OK.
The Word now opens a new document that will display both your original document, which you sent for review, and the copy from the author which you merged. The word divides the screen into three sections with a combined document displayed at the center, revisions outlined to the left of the screen and displays both original and revised documents simultaneously split into two in the third section.
If you find this information very confusing, you can bring down the sections to two to make the visuals more appealing. Follow the below steps to minimize the display in the toolbar.
Navigate to Compare.
Click Show source Documents and select Hide Source Documents.
Once you have included all the changes the way you want, Save the document.
Merging documents is extremely useful if you have got too many edits during the review process. Adding too many changes will be time-consuming for a document with huge content. In such a scenario, it is quite helpful to merge documents in Word. However, If your content is not very large and if you find the above steps overwhelming, you can simply copy the text that you want to include in the document and paste it directly into your new documents.
Why combine multiple Word documents into one?
Sometimes, you may have to send your documents to your editors or team members for a quick review, feedback, and suggestions. After a review, you receive a handful of feedback and revision copies in the form of word outlining a number of edits and changes from many reviewers. A simple copy and paste will consume an enormous time if you want to combine reviews and changes from multiple copies. With so many copies of changes and edits from multiple authors or reviewers, it is quite possible that things can go weary.
To make sure that you don’t miss out on any important feedback and revisions, you may find it useful to combine all the Word documents containing feedback from multiple authors into a single original document. That being said, combining feedback from multiple reviewers into a single Word document will let you label the changes made by specific reviewers. This way, it will ease your work to review comments and make necessary changes.
Read next: How to combine multiple PowerPoint Presentations.
