How to Merge Documents in Microsoft Word

This wikiHow teaches you how to merge multiple Microsoft Word documents into a single document. In addition to merging separate documents, you can also merge multiple versions of a single document into one brand-new file. Although combining documents may seem daunting at first, the steps are actually pretty easy, and you'll be combining files in no time!

Method 1
Method 1 of 2:

Merging Multiple Documents

  1. Image titled Merge Documents in Microsoft Word Step 1
    1
    Open the Word document you want to merge into. The easiest way to do this is to double-click the document so it opens in Word. You can also open Word first, click the File menu in Word, click Open, and select the document.
  2. Image titled Merge Documents in Microsoft Word Step 2
    2
    Click in the place where you want to insert the next document. The text from the document you're inserting will begin at the location you click.
    Advertisement
  3. Image titled Merge Documents in Microsoft Word Step 3
    3
    Click the Insert tab. It's at the top of the screen between "Home" and "Draw" (or "Home and "Design" in some versions).
  4. Image titled Merge Documents in Microsoft Word Step 4
    4
    Click the Object button. It's in the "Text" panel of the Insert tab, which is toward the top-right corner of Word. This opens the "Object" dialog window.
    • If you only want to merge plain text into this document (no images, special fonts, for formatting), you can click the arrow next to "Object" instead, select Text from File, and skip to step 7.
  5. Image titled Merge Documents in Microsoft Word Step 5
    5
    Click the Create from File tab. It's the second tab in the Object window.
  6. Image titled Merge Documents in Microsoft Word Step 6
    6
    Click the Browse button. This opens your computer's file browser.
  7. Image titled Merge Documents in Microsoft Word Step 7
    7
    Select the document you want to insert.
  8. Image titled Merge Documents in Microsoft Word Step 8
    8
    Click the Insert button. This closes the file browser and adds the file to the "File name" field.
  9. Image titled Merge Documents in Microsoft Word Step 9
    9
    Click the OK button to insert the document. The contents of the selected document should now appear where you set the cursor.
    • Word documents and most RTF documents will retain their original formatting when merged. Results will vary for other types of files.
    • Repeat these steps for each document you want to merge.
    10. Advertisement
Method 2
Method 2 of 2:

Merging Two Versions of a Single Document

  1. Image titled Merge Documents in Microsoft Word Step 10
    1
    Open one of the documents you want to merge. The easiest way to do this is to double-click the document so it opens in Word. You can also open Word first, click the File menu in Word, click Open, and select the document.
    • A Word document will have multiple versions if you've enabled Track Changes on the Review tab.[1]
  2. Image titled Merge Documents in Microsoft Word Step 11
    2
    Click the Review tab. It's at the top of Word between "Mailings" and "View."
    • If you don't have a Review tab, click the Tools tab.
  3. Image titled Merge Documents in Microsoft Word Step 12
    3
    Click Compare. It's in the toolbar toward the top-right side. Two options will expand.
  4. Image titled Merge Documents in Microsoft Word Step 13
    4
    Click on Combine…. It's the second option. A window will appear in which you can choose your documents.
  5. Image titled Merge Documents in Microsoft Word Step 14
    5
    Select the "Original document" from the labeled drop-down menu. This is the document that was originally sent for review (before you made modifications).[2]
  6. Image titled Merge Documents in Microsoft Word Step 15
    6
    Select the "Revised document" from the labeled drop-down menu. This is the one you've edited.
    • If you want to mark the parts of the document that have been changed since revision, type a label into the "Label unmarked changes with" box. Usually you'll want to use the name of the person who suggested the edits.
  7. Image titled Merge Documents in Microsoft Word Step 16
    7
    Select New document under "Show changes in." This tells Word to create a new document from the two you're merging.
  8. Image titled Merge Documents in Microsoft Word Step 17
    8
    Click OK. The two versions will be combined into a new Word document and it'll show up in a new three-panel Word window. The document in the center is the merged document, the left panel shows the revisions, and the right shows the two documents compared to one another.
    • If there's too much information on the screen to read the new document, go to Compare > Show Source Documents > Hide Source Documents. This minimizes the right panel and marks revisions with a vertical red line in the new merged document.
    9. Advertisement

Community Q&A

  • Question
    What is the point of merging a document?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    If two people are working on the same document at the same time, you will end up with two conflicting revisions. Both may have started from the same base version of the document, but through their separate work, they have created two different, revised versions. The point of merging is to combine the changes of both contributors into a new, complete revision of the document. The merging process compares what was changed in each version of the document, and tries to automatically create a new document combining all changes from all editors. Manual intervention may be necessary, if, for example, two authors changed the same sentence in different ways.
  • Question
    How do I restart page numbering within a document?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Page tab - Break - Insert New Section Break; this will give you this chance to change page numbering.
  • Question
    How can I combine a German document and an English document to show the German text on the left side of the page and the English translation on the right side of the page?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Create a table with two columns on the page with two columns. Copy and paste the German text into the left column, and copy and paste the English text into the right column. If you wish you can put each paragraph of English and German into a new row in the table. Adjust your cells as necessary.
Advertisement

You Might Also Like

Add Images to a Microsoft Word DocumentHow to Insert a Picture into a Word Document: 3 Easy Ways
Create and Install Symbols on Microsoft Word
How to
Create and Install Symbols on Microsoft Word
Create a 3D Object in Microsoft Word
How to
Create a 3D Object in Microsoft Word
Get Rid of a Horizontal Line in Microsoft Word
How to
Get Rid of a Horizontal Line in Microsoft Word
Remove a Blank Page in Word
How to
Remove a Blank Page in Word
Check a Word Count in Microsoft Word
How to
Check a Word Count in Microsoft Word
Insert Page Numbers in WordEasily Add Page Numbers to a Word Document on Any Platform
Create an Index in Word
How to
Create an Index in Word
Remove the 'Read Only' Status on MS Word Documents
How to
Remove the 'Read Only' Status on MS Word Documents
Convert Excel to Word3 Easy Ways to Convert Microsoft Excel Data to Word
Insert a Check Box in Word
How to
Insert a Check Box in Word
Make Two Columns in Word2 Easy Ways to Make Two Columns in Microsoft Word
Convert a JPEG Image Into an Editable Word Document3 Free Ways to Convert JPEG Into an Editable Word Document
Insert a Hyperlink in Microsoft Word3 Simple Ways to Insert a Hyperlink in Microsoft Word
Advertisement

References

  1. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/track-changes-in-word-197ba630-0f5f-4a8e-9a77-3712475e806a
  2. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/combine-document-revisions-f8f07f09-4461-4376-b041-89ad67412cfe

About This Article

Nicole Levine, MFA
Written by:
Nicole Levine, MFA
wikiHow Technology Writer
This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Nicole Levine, MFA. Nicole Levine is a Technology Writer and Editor for wikiHow. She has more than 20 years of experience creating technical documentation and leading support teams at major web hosting and software companies. Nicole also holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Portland State University and teaches composition, fiction-writing, and zine-making at various institutions. This article has been viewed 1,420,662 times.
How helpful is this?
Co-authors: 25
Updated: September 1, 2022
Views: 1,420,662
Categories: Microsoft Word
Article SummaryX

1. Open a Word document.
2. Click the insertion point.
3. Click the Insert tab.
4. Click Object.
5. Click Create from file.
6. Select the document to merge.
7. Click Insert.
8. Click OK.

Did this summary help you?
Advertisement