This article explains how to combine two or more Microsoft Word documents into one document. It also includes information on merging different versions of a document into a single document. This article applies to Word for Microsoft 365, Word 2019, Word 2016, Word 2013, Word 2010, and Word for Mac.

What to Know

  • Open the Word file that is the main document. Position the cursor at the insert location.Go to the Insert tab. Select Text > Object > Object > Create from File.Select Browse in Windows (From File in macOS) and locate the second file. Select OK (or Insert on macOS).

Merge Two or More Word Documents 

When you want to combine multiple Microsoft Word documents into one, copying content from each and pasting it into another document isn’t efficient. Here’s the best way to merge Word documents into one primary file.

  • Open the file you wish to serve as the main document.
  • Place the cursor at the point of the document where you wish to insert the new content.
  • Go to the Insert tab, located near the upper-left corner of Word.
  • In the Text section, select Object.
  • In the drop-down menu, select Object.
  • Choose Text from File if you want to insert plain text from a source file and aren’t concerned with maintaining the formatting or retaining the images.
  • In the Object dialog box, go to the Create from File tab.
  • Select Browse on Windows, or From File on macOS.
  • Locate and select the file or files containing the contents you wish to insert into the document.
  • When the File name is field is populated with the proper path and the source files, select OK on Windows, or Insert on macOS.
  • The contents from the destination files are inserted into the current Word document at the location you selected. These steps can be repeated for multiple documents if you like.

Merge Different Versions of a Single Document

When several people work on a single document, you have multiple versions of the same document. These versions can also be merged into one primary file without manually copying and pasting. However, the process for doing so is a bit different than detailed above.

Open the file you wish to serve as the main document.

Place the cursor at the point of the document where you wish to insert the new content.

Go to the Insert tab, located near the upper-left corner of Word.

In the Text section, select Object.

In the drop-down menu, select Object.

Choose Text from File if you want to insert plain text from a source file and aren’t concerned with maintaining the formatting or retaining the images.

In the Object dialog box, go to the Create from File tab.

Select Browse on Windows, or From File on macOS.

Locate and select the file or files containing the contents you wish to insert into the document.

When the File name is field is populated with the proper path and the source files, select OK on Windows, or Insert on macOS.

The contents from the destination files are inserted into the current Word document at the location you selected. These steps can be repeated for multiple documents if you like.

  • Go to the Review tab.
  • Select Compare.
  • In the drop-down menu, select Combine or Combine Documents.
  • In the Combine Documents dialog box, select the main document. Either select the Original document drop-down arrow and choose the file or select the folder icon.
  • Choose the document to merge with the main document. Select the Revised document drop-down arrow and choose the file containing the changes.
  • Select the More button in Windows or the down arrow in macOS. This presents several optional settings that dictate how the two files are compared, along with how changes appear in the new document.
  • Once satisfied with the settings, select OK to merge the documents accordingly. Both files appear side-by-side, along with a record of revisions and the corresponding details.

Go to the Review tab.

Select Compare.

In the drop-down menu, select Combine or Combine Documents. 

In the Combine Documents dialog box, select the main document. Either select the Original document drop-down arrow and choose the file or select the folder icon.

Choose the document to merge with the main document. Select the Revised document drop-down arrow and choose the file containing the changes. 

Select the More button in Windows or the down arrow in macOS. This presents several optional settings that dictate how the two files are compared, along with how changes appear in the new document.

Once satisfied with the settings, select OK to merge the documents accordingly. Both files appear side-by-side, along with a record of revisions and the corresponding details.

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