How to Create a Mailing List in Google Sheets

4 min read

A well-organized mailing list is the foundation of successful mail merge labels. This guide shows you how to set up your Google Sheets spreadsheet for optimal results with Label Maker.

Step 1: Create a New Spreadsheet

Go to Google Sheets
Click the + Blank button to create a new spreadsheet
Give your spreadsheet a descriptive name (e.g., "Holiday Card Mailing List 2024")

Step 2: Set Up Your Column Headers

The first row of your spreadsheet should contain column headers. These headers become your merge field names in Label Maker.

Recommended Columns for Address Labels

Name - Full name or "First Name" and "Last Name" as separate columns
Address - Street address (or "Address Line 1" and "Address Line 2")
City - City name
State - State or province abbreviation
ZIP - Postal/ZIP code
Country - Optional, for international mailings

Tip: Keep column headers simple and avoid special characters. "First Name" works better than "First Name (Required)*".

Example Spreadsheet Layout

| Name          | Address         | City        | State | ZIP   |
|---------------|-----------------|-------------|-------|-------|
| John Smith    | 123 Main St     | Springfield | IL    | 62701 |
| Jane Doe      | 456 Oak Ave     | Chicago     | IL    | 60601 |
| Bob Wilson    | 789 Pine Rd     | Naperville  | IL    | 60540 |

Step 3: Enter Your Contact Data

Starting from row 2 (row 1 is for headers), enter your contact information:

One contact per row
Fill in all relevant fields for each contact
Keep data consistent (e.g., always use state abbreviations)
Avoid leaving empty rows between contacts

Step 4: Format Your Data Properly

ZIP Codes

ZIP codes that start with 0 (like 01234) may lose the leading zero. To prevent this:

Select the ZIP column
Go to Format → Number → Plain text
Or prefix ZIP codes with an apostrophe: '01234

Names

Use consistent capitalization (Title Case recommended)
Consider separate columns for First Name and Last Name if you need to address people by first name only
Include titles (Mr., Mrs., Dr.) in a separate column if needed

Addresses

Use standard abbreviations: St, Ave, Blvd, Rd
Keep apartment/unit numbers with the street address or in a separate Address Line 2
For international addresses, include the country in a separate column

Step 5: Clean Your Data

Before using your mailing list, check for common issues:

Remove Duplicates

Select all your data
Go to Data → Data cleanup → Remove duplicates
Choose which columns to check for duplicates

Check for Errors

Look for typos in city names and states
Verify ZIP codes are the correct length
Ensure no data is missing from critical fields

Remove Extra Spaces

Use the TRIM function to remove leading/trailing spaces:

=TRIM(A2)

Importing Existing Contacts

From Excel

Open your Excel file
Go to File → Import → Upload
Select your Excel file
Choose to create a new spreadsheet or add to existing

From CSV

In Google Sheets, go to File → Import
Select Upload and choose your CSV file
Set separator type (usually comma)
Click Import data

From Google Contacts

Go to Google Contacts
Select the contacts you want to export
Click Export and choose Google CSV format
Import the CSV into Google Sheets

Best Practices

Backup regularly - Make a copy before major edits
Use data validation - Set dropdown lists for State fields
Add notes column - Track special instructions without affecting labels
Date stamp - Add a "Last Updated" column for reference

Ready to create labels? Once your mailing list is set up, follow our mail merge tutorial to create personalized labels.