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What is mail merge, and how do I request a change to a letter or template?

Any GovPilot user with access to a module can generate the letters, notices, and other documents configured for that module. The templates themselves are created and edited by our team. This article explains what a mail merge is, where to find your templates, and what to include when you ask us to change one.

What a mail merge is

A mail merge is a pre-built document or email template that fills itself in with data from a specific record. Confirmation letters, notices of violation, payment requests, permit issuance notices, and renewal reminders are all common mail merges. When you generate one, it pulls the applicant name, address, dates, and other fields from the record you are working in.

A mail merge always produces the same layout and wording. It does not change its content based on the record's field values. If you need different wording depending on a status or other condition, that requires separate templates, which our team can set up for you.

Generate a document for one record

  1. Open the record in Form View.
  2. Click Print Menu in the bottom toolbar.
  3. Click the template you want. The document generates using that record's data.

[Screenshot needed: Form View bottom toolbar with Print Menu open]

The Print Menu lists both mail merges and reports for the module. Mail merge names usually match the document type, such as "Dog License Certificate." Reports are usually named descriptively, such as "List of Transactions."

Generate documents for many records at once

  1. Open the module's Data Viewer and filter to the records you need.
  2. Check the boxes next to the records.
  3. Click Print in the toolbar.
  4. Select the template. It generates for every selected record.

Only mail merges appear in the bulk Print list. Reports are run from the Reports area or from the Print Menu inside a single record.

Email a generated document

When you click Email on a record, the Attach field lets you choose any document from the Print Menu to attach. You cannot attach files from your own computer here, only documents generated from the record's templates.

Automated emails

Many automated emails, such as submission confirmations, payment requests, and renewal reminders, use a mail merge template behind the scenes. A workflow generates the document and sends it without any staff action. The wording and timing of these emails are configured by our team.

Request a change to a letter or template

Templates cannot be edited from inside GovPilot. To add a new template or change an existing one, reach out to our support team and include:

  • The module the template belongs to
  • The template name as it appears in the Print Menu
  • What the document says or shows now, and what it should say instead
  • Any record fields that should appear in the document
  • A record number where we can see the problem, if the template is pulling wrong information such as the wrong address

Some documents called "certificates" are built as reports rather than mail merges. You do not need to know which is which. Tell us the document name and the module, and we will identify it on our end.

✅ Pro Tip: If a letter is pulling the wrong address or name, send us the document name, the module, and one record number showing the issue. That is enough for us to diagnose it.

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