Why are merge fields inside the header or footer not updating per record during Document Mail Merge using single file with page break option, and how can this be fixed?

This behaviour occurs because Microsoft Word and Google Docs treat header and footer sections as static. During a multi-record merge with a single file, Word processes the header/footer only once using data from the first record and repeats it for all pages. The body content updates per record, but the header/footer content does not.

Workaround:

To ensure header/footer fields refresh correctly for every record, move all merge fields out of the actual header/footer. Instead, place them in a single-row table or text box positioned at the top (for a header) or bottom (for a footer) within the document body. Since body content updates per row, this method ensures each record displays the correct header/footer data.