MergeFlow

A single spreadsheet can describe several different conversations. Someone with no forms needs a complete document pack; someone missing one form needs only that document; a complete record can take a different path. MergeFlow was conceived to make those decisions visible inside Outlook, with connected steps that business users can inspect instead of maintaining separate recipient lists and repeated merge jobs.

The interface combines a workflow canvas, a configuration panel and a spreadsheet-style simulator. Users connect sender, Excel or CSV import, condition, email template, attachment and execution nodes. The shared TypeScript engine follows the configured branches, substitutes row values into templates and returns the path, resolved message, attachment references and warnings. Explain Row makes the reason for an individual outcome inspectable before execution.

Attachment rules can select a full pack or resolve a smaller set from the row data. The source supports uploaded PDF bundles and attachment readiness checks. A filename in a worksheet is not permission to read that file: an Outlook web add-in cannot browse arbitrary local folders. Available attachment content and supported URLs must be resolved and verified through the chosen execution path.

The installed personal Outlook pilot produced verified conditional messages and attachments for test recipients and saved drafts for review. Durable run records guard against duplicate submissions, and uncertain delivery outcomes stop automatic retries until a person resolves the state. These are recorded pilot results; the standalone browser walkthrough remains simulated.

Portable workflow packages, version history and setup variables separate reusable logic from the mailbox and file locations that change between people. A colleague can import a workflow, see what still needs binding and supply their own configuration. The repository includes local and API-backed persistence and sharing; broader team authorization and cross-tenant behavior remain acceptance work before a commercial rollout.

I configured Microsoft Entra and installed the add-in in U1Mechanical’s administrator mailbox as an unpaid practice environment. Sending and AI remain disabled there, and the recipient allowlist is limited to designated test addresses. That installation exercises deployment and identity setup; the verified sent-mail result belongs to the separate personal pilot.

Microsoft Entra registration, reviewed permissions, mailbox scope and the application’s own authorization rules support the pilot. Workbook rows stay in browser memory; the run ledger retains hashes rather than message content. OpenAI authoring assistance uses reviewed context and excludes recipient-row values, file bytes and mailbox contents. The deterministic engine decides which workflow path runs. Microsoft Copilot is the planned default, not an implemented component or an inherited Outlook capability.

The TypeScript monorepo pairs React, Fluent UI, React Flow and Office.js with a NestJS API and Prisma/PostgreSQL persistence. Shared packages own schema validation, row evaluation, placeholders, setup requirements and policies. Papa Parse and SheetJS handle spreadsheet inputs; MSAL and Microsoft Graph connect identity and mailbox operations. The personal pilot established specific delivered paths while broader customer acceptance and commercial distribution remain separate work.