In this advanced step-by-step tutorial, learn how to mail merge with attachments, customize the subject, and cc or bcc others using Office 365. You can use insert mail merge fields in the subject line and body of your email. Just click Insert/ Merge Fields Menu or the Merge Fields Icon and select the database field that you want to personalize for each recipient. For example, if you want to merge the first name of each contact into your email, you would click Insert/Merge Field.
Learn how to add an attachment to a Mail Merge in Microsoft Word. An essential feature that is not supported by default, but can be added by Mail Merge Toolk. Automatic labeling in Office apps for Windows is supported by the Azure Information Protection unified labeling client. For built-in labeling in Office apps, this capability is in different stages of availability for different apps. The auto-labeling settings for Office apps are available when you create or edit a sensitivity label.
-->Microsoft 365 licensing guidance for security & compliance.
Note
For information about automatically applying a sensitivity label in Azure Purview (preview), see Automatically label your content in Azure Purview.
When you create a sensitivity label, you can automatically assign that label to files and emails when it matches conditions that you specify.
This ability to apply sensitivity labels to content automatically is important because:
You don't need to train your users when to use each of your classifications.
You don't need to rely on users to classify all content correctly.
Users no longer need to know about your policies—they can instead focus on their work.
When content has been manually labeled, that label will never be replaced by automatic labeling. However, automatic labeling can replace a lower priority label that was automatically applied.
There are two different methods for automatically applying a sensitivity label to content in Microsoft 365:
Client-side labeling when users edit documents or compose (also reply or forward) emails: Use a label that's configured for auto-labeling for files and emails (includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook).
This method supports recommending a label to users, as well as automatically applying a label. But in both cases, the user decides whether to accept or reject the label, to help ensure the correct labeling of content. This client-side labeling has minimal delay for documents because the label can be applied even before the document is saved. However, not all client apps support auto-labeling. This capability is supported by the Azure Information Protection unified labeling client, and some versions of Office.
For configuration instructions, see How to configure auto-labeling for Office apps on this page.
Service-side labeling when content is already saved (in SharePoint or OneDrive) or emailed (processed by Exchange Online): Use an auto-labeling policy.
You might also hear this method referred to as auto-labeling for data at rest (documents in SharePoint and OneDrive) and data in transit (email that is sent or received by Exchange). For Exchange, it doesn't include emails at rest (mailboxes).
Because this labeling is applied by services rather than by applications, you don't need to worry about what apps users have and what version. As a result, this capability is immediately available throughout your organization and suitable for labeling at scale. Auto-labeling policies don't support recommended labeling because the user doesn't interact with the labeling process. Instead, the administrator runs the policies in simulation mode to help ensure the correct labeling of content before actually applying the label.
For configuration instructions, see How to configure auto-labeling policies for SharePoint, OneDrive, and Exchange on this page.
Specific to auto-labeling for SharePoint and OneDrive:
Specific to auto-labeling for Exchange:
Use the following table to help you identify the differences in behavior for the two complementary automatic labeling methods:
Feature or behavior | Label setting: Auto-labeling for files and emails | Policy: Auto-labeling |
---|---|---|
App dependency | Yes (minimum versions) | No * |
Restrict by location | No | Yes |
Conditions: Exact Data Match for custom sensitive info types | Yes | No |
Conditions: Trainable classifiers | Yes | No |
Conditions: Sharing options and additional options for email | No | Yes |
Conditions: Exceptions | No | Yes (email only) |
Recommendations, policy tooltip, and user overrides | Yes | No |
Simulation mode | No | Yes |
Exchange attachments checked for conditions | No | Yes |
Apply visual markings | Yes | Yes (email only) |
Override IRM encryption applied without a label | Yes if the user has the minimum usage right of Export | Yes (email only) |
Label incoming email | No | Yes |
* Auto-labeling isn't currently available in all regions. If your tenant can't support this functionality, the Auto-labeling tab isn't visible in the admin labeling center.
The labels are ordered for evaluation according to their position that you specify in the policy: The label positioned first has the lowest position (least sensitive) and the label positioned last has the highest position (most sensitive). For more information on priority, see Label priority (order matters).
Remember, you can't apply a parent label (a label with sublabels) to content. Make sure that you don't configure a parent label to be auto-applied or recommended in Office apps, and don't select a parent label for an auto-labeling policy. If you do, the parent label won't be applied to content.
To use automatic labeling with sublabels, make sure you publish both the parent label and the sublabel.
For more information on parent labels and sublabels, see Sublabels (grouping labels).
Automatic labeling in Office apps for Windows is supported by the Azure Information Protection unified labeling client. For built-in labeling in Office apps, this capability is in different stages of availability for different apps.
The auto-labeling settings for Office apps are available when you create or edit a sensitivity label. Make sure Files & emails is selected for the label's scope:
As you move through the wizard, you see the Auto-labeling for files and emails page where you can choose from a list of sensitive info types or trainable classifiers:
When this sensitivity label is automatically applied, the user sees a notification in their Office app. For example:
When you select the Sensitive info types option, you see the same list of sensitive information types as when you create a data loss prevention (DLP) policy. So you can, for example, automatically apply a Highly Confidential label to any content that contains customers' personal information, such as credit card numbers, social security numbers, or passport numbers:
Similarly to when you configure DLP policies, you can then refine your condition by changing the instance count and match accuracy. For example:
You can learn more about these configuration options from the DLP documentation: Tuning rules to make them easier or harder to match.
Also similarly to DLP policy configuration, you can choose whether a condition must detect all sensitive information types, or just one of them. And to make your conditions more flexible or complex, you can add groups and use logical operators between the groups.
Note
Auto-labeling based on custom sensitive information types applies only to newly created or modified content in OneDrive and SharePoint; not to existing content. This limitation also applies to auto-labeling polices.
You can configure a sensitivity label to use Exact Data Match (EDM)-based classification for custom sensitive information types. However, currently, you must also specify at least one sensitive information type that doesn't use EDM. For example, one of the built-in sensitive information types, such as Credit card number.
If you configure a sensitivity label with only EDM for your sensitive information type conditions, the auto-labeling setting is automatically turned off for the label.
If you use this option, make sure you have published in your tenant at least one other sensitivity label that's configured for auto-labeling and the sensitive info types option.
When you select the Trainable classifiers option, select one or more of the built-in trainable classifiers from Microsoft. If you've created your own custom trainable classifiers, these are also available to select:
For more information about these classifiers, see Learn about trainable classifiers.
If you prefer, you can recommend to your users that they apply the label. With this option, your users can accept the classification and any associated protection, or dismiss the recommendation if the label isn't suitable for their content.
Here's an example of a prompt from the Azure Information Protection unified labeling client when you configure a condition to apply a label as a recommended action, with a custom policy tip. You can choose what text is displayed in the policy tip.
The implementation of automatic and recommended labeling in Office apps depend on whether you're using labeling that's built into Office, or the Azure Information Protection unified labeling client. In both cases, however:
You can't use automatic labeling for documents and emails that were previously manually labeled, or previously automatically labeled with a higher sensitivity. Remember, you can only apply a single sensitivity label to a document or email (in addition to a single retention label).
You can't use recommended labeling for documents or emails that were previously labeled with a higher sensitivity. When the content's already labeled with a higher sensitivity, the user won't see the prompt with the recommendation and policy tip.
Specific to built-in labeling:
Not all Office apps support automatic (and recommended) labeling. For more information, see Support for sensitivity label capabilities in apps.
For recommended labels in the desktop versions of Word, the sensitive content that triggered the recommendation is flagged so that users can review and remove the sensitive content instead of applying the recommended sensitivity label.
For details about how these labels are applied in Office apps, example screenshots, and how sensitive information is detected, see Automatically apply or recommend sensitivity labels to your files and emails in Office.
Specific to the Azure Information Protection unified labeling client:
Automatic and recommended labeling applies to Word, Excel, and PowerPoint when you save a document, and to Outlook when you send an email.
For Outlook to support recommended labeling, you must first configure an advanced policy setting.
Sensitive information can be detected in the body text in documents and emails, and to headers and footers—but not in the subject line or attachments of email.
Important
New enhancements are currently rolling out for auto-labeling policies that include faster simulation results, support for more files and more sites, and email notifications. For more information, see Recent enhancements for auto-labeling policies.
Make sure you're aware of the prerequisites before you configure auto-labeling policies.
Simulation mode:
To auto-label files in SharePoint and OneDrive:
If you plan to use custom sensitive information types rather than the built-in sensitivity types:
One or more sensitivity labels created and published (to at least one user) that you can select for your auto-labeling policies. For these labels:
Simulation mode is unique to auto-labeling policies and woven into the workflow. You can't automatically label documents and emails until your policy has run at least one simulation.
Workflow for an auto-labeling policy:
Create and configure an auto-labeling policy.
Run the policy in simulation mode, which can take 48 hours to complete.
With the recent enhancements now rolling out, this time is reduced to 12 hours and the completed simulation triggers an email notification that's sent to the user configured to receive activity alerts.
Review the results, and if necessary, refine your policy. Rerun simulation mode and wait for it to complete again.
Repeat step 3 as needed.
Deploy in production.
The simulated deployment runs like the WhatIf parameter for PowerShell. You see results reported as if the auto-labeling policy had applied your selected label, using the rules that you defined. You can then refine your rules for accuracy if needed, and rerun the simulation. However, because auto-labeling for Exchange applies to emails that are sent and received, rather than emails stored in mailboxes, don't expect results for email in a simulation to be consistent unless you're able to send and receive the exact same email messages.
Simulation mode also lets you gradually increase the scope of your auto-labeling policy before deployment. For example, you might start with a single location, such as a SharePoint site, with a single document library. Then, with iterative changes, increase the scope to multiple sites, and then to another location, such as OneDrive.
Finally, you can use simulation mode to provide an approximation of the time needed to run your auto-labeling policy, to help you plan and schedule when to run it without simulation mode.
In the Microsoft 365 compliance center, navigate to sensitivity labels:
If you don't immediately see this option, first select Show all.
Select the Auto-labeling tab:
Note
If you don't see the Auto-labeling tab, this functionality isn't currently available in your region.
Select + Create auto-labeling policy. This starts the New policy wizard:
For the page Choose info you want this label applied to: Select one of the templates, such as Financial or Privacy. You can refine your search by using the Show options for dropdown. Or, select Custom policy if the templates don't meet your requirements. Select Next.
For the page Name your auto-labeling policy: Provide a unique name, and optionally a description to help identify the automatically applied label, locations, and conditions that identify the content to label.
For the page Choose locations where you want to apply the label: Select and specify locations for Exchange, SharePoint sites, and OneDrive. Then select Next.
To specify individual OneDrive accounts: The URL for a user's OneDrive account is in the following format: https://<tenant name>-my.sharepoint.com/personal/<user_name>_<tenant name>_com
For example, for a user in the contoso tenant that has a user name of 'rsimone': https://contoso-my.sharepoint.com/personal/rsimone_contoso_onmicrosoft_com
To verify the syntax for your tenant and identify OneDrive URLs for users, see Get a list of all user OneDrive URLs in your organization.
For the Set up common or advanced rules page: Keep the default of Common rules to define rules that identify content to label across all your selected locations. If you need different rules per location, select Advanced rules. Then select Next.
The rules use conditions that include sensitive information types and sharing options:
If your only location is Exchange, or if you select Advanced rules, there are additional conditions that you can select:
For each of these conditions, you can then specify exceptions.
Depending on your previous choices, you'll now have an opportunity to create new rules by using conditions and exceptions.
The configuration options for sensitive information types are the same as those you select for auto-labeling for Office apps. If you need more information, see Configuring sensitive info types for a label.
When you have defined all the rules you need, and confirmed their status is on, select Next to move on to choosing a label to auto-apply.
For the Choose a label to auto-apply page: Select + Choose a label, select a label from the Choose a sensitivity label pane, and then select Next.
For the Decide if you want to test out the policy now or later page: Select Run policy in simulation mode if you're ready to run the auto-labeling policy now, in simulation mode. Otherwise, select Leave policy turned off. Select Next:
For the Summary page: Review the configuration of your auto-labeling policy and make any changes that needed, and complete the wizard.
Now on the Information protection > Auto-labeling page, you see your auto-labeling policy in the Simulation or Off section, depending on whether you chose to run it in simulation mode or not. Select your policy to see the details of the configuration and status (for example, Policy simulation is still running). For policies in simulation mode, select the Matched items tab to see which emails or documents matched the rules that you specified.
You can modify your policy directly from this interface:
For a policy in the Off section, select the Edit policy button.
For policy in the Simulation section, select the Edit policy option at the top of the page, from either tab:
When you're ready to run the policy without simulation, select the Turn on policy option.
Your auto-policies run continuously until they are deleted. For example, new and modified documents will be included with the current policy settings.
You can also see the results of your auto-labeling policy by using content explorer when you have the appropriate permissions:
Tip
You can also use content explorer to identify locations that have documents with sensitive information, but are unlabeled. Using this information, consider adding these locations to your auto-labeling policy, and include the identified sensitive information types as rules.
You can use Security & Compliance Center PowerShell to create and configure auto-labeling policies. This means you can fully script the creation and maintenance of your auto-labeling policies, which also provides a more efficient method of specifying multiple URLs for OneDrive and SharePoint locations.
Before you run the commands in PowerShell, you must first connect to Security & Compliance Center PowerShell.
To create a new auto-labeling policy:
This command creates an auto-labeling policy for a SharePoint site that you specify. For a OneDrive location, use the OneDriveLocation parameter, instead.
To add additional sites to an existing auto-labeling policy:
This command specifies the additional SharePoint URLs in a variable that is then added to an existing auto-labeling policy. To add OneDrive locations instead, use the AddOneDriveLocation parameter with a different variable, such as $OneDriveLocations.
To create a new auto-labeling policy rule:
For an existing auto-labeling policy, this command creates a new policy rule to detect the sensitive information type of U.S. social security number (SSN), which has an entity ID of a44669fe-0d48-453d-a9b1-2cc83f2cba77. To find the entity IDs for other sensitive information types, refer to Sensitive information type entity definitions.
For more information about the PowerShell cmdlets that support auto-labeling policies, their available parameters and some examples, see the following cmdlet help:
The recent enhancements now rolling out for auto-labeling policies for OneDrive and SharePoint have the following improvements from the previous version:
Maximum of 100 auto-labeling policies per tenant instead of 10.
Support for all OneDrive and SharePoint sites (the default for new policies) and the ability to select available SharePoint sites instead of having to enter each site by URL. When you use the new default of All, all existing SharePoint sites and OneDrive accounts in your tenant and any newly created sites and accounts are automatically included in the policy. When you select Choose sites for SharePoint, you can still manually enter sites by their URL if needed.
When you specify individual sites in an auto-labeling policy, up to 100 sites are now supported instead of 10 sites.
Maximum of 1,000,000 matched files per auto-labeling policy, although the total of 25,000 automatically labeled files in your tenant per day remains the same.
Simulation improvements:
Improvements to help you review matched items:
Tip
To take advantage of the higher number of policies and sites supported, use PowerShell to efficiently create new policies and add additional sites to existing policies. For more information, see the Use PowerShell for auto-labeling policies section on this page.
When your tenant has the new enhancements, you'll see the following notification on the Auto-labeling tab:
If you don't see this notification, your tenant hasn't got the new enhancements but check again in a few days.
Note
If you had any auto-labeling policies that were in simulation mode when your tenant received the new enhancements, you must re-run the simulation. If this scenario applies to you, you'll be prompted to select Restart Simulation when you review the simulation. If you don't restart the simulation, it won't complete.
However, the enhancements still apply to any auto-labeling policies running without simulation and all new auto-labeling policies you create.
Although auto-labeling is one of the most efficient ways to classify, label, and protect Office files that your organization owns, check whether you can supplement it with any of the additional methods to increase your labeling reach:
When you use the Azure Information Protection unified labeling client:
For files in on-premises data stores such as network shares and SharePoint Server libraries: Use the scanner to discover sensitive information in these files and label them appropriately. If you are planning to migrate or upload these files to SharePoint in Microsoft 365, use the scanner to label the files before you move them to the cloud.
If you have used another labeling solution before using sensitivity labels: Use PowerShell and an advanced setting to reuse labels from these solutions.
Encourage manual labeling after providing users with training which sensitivity labels to apply. When you're confident that users understand which label to apply, consider configuring a default label and mandatory labeling as policy settings.
Additionally, consider marking new files as sensitive by default in SharePoint to prevent guests from accessing newly added files until at least one DLP policy scans the content of the file.