diff --git a/.github/workflows/vale.yml b/.github/workflows/vale.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..068c35b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/vale.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+name: vale-validation
+on:
+  pull_request:
+    paths:
+    - README.md
+
+jobs:
+  vale:
+    name: runner / vale
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - name: clone repo
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - name: clone vale-styles repo
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        with:
+          repository: DevExpress/vale-styles
+          path: vale-styles
+          ssh-key: ${{ secrets.VALE_STYLES_ACCESS_KEY }}
+      - name: copy vale rules to the root repo
+        run: shopt -s dotglob && cp -r ./vale-styles/vale/* .
+      - name: vale linter check
+        uses: DevExpress/vale-action@reviewdog
+        with:
+          files: README.md
+          fail_on_error: true
+          filter_mode: nofilter
+          reporter: github-check
diff --git a/CODEOWNERS b/CODEOWNERS
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--- /dev/null
+++ b/CODEOWNERS
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+*       @DevExpressExampleBot
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/CS/WordProcessingMailMerge/template.docx b/CS/WordProcessingMailMerge/template.docx
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diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
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+++ b/README.md
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+<!-- default badges list -->
+[![](https://img.shields.io/badge/📖_How_to_use_DevExpress_Examples-e9f6fc?style=flat-square)](https://docs.devexpress.com/GeneralInformation/403183)
+[![](https://img.shields.io/badge/💬_Leave_Feedback-feecdd?style=flat-square)](#does-this-example-address-your-development-requirementsobjectives)
+<!-- default badges end -->
+# Word Processing Document API - How to Automate Mail Merge: Generate, Populate, and Export Documents
+
+This sample project demonstrates how to use the mail merge feature to generate a template, populate it with data, and export the result to a DOCX file.
+
+![word processing document api mail merge result](./media/image.png)
+
+## Implementation Details
+
+The [RichEditDocumentServer.LoadDocument](https://docs.devexpress.com/OfficeFileAPI/DevExpress.XtraRichEdit.RichEditDocumentServer.LoadDocument.overloads) method call loads a document template. The `AddMailMergeFields` method implementation inserts the **INCLUDEPICTURE** and **MERGEFIELD** fields into the template's main body, and the **INCLUDEPICTURE** field to the footer.
+
+The document template contains the DOCVARIABLE field that inserts the number of years the employee has worked at the company. The nested MERGEFIELD refers to the **HireDate** entry in the database. This field value is calculated in the [CalculateDocumentVariable](https://docs.devexpress.com/OfficeFileAPI/DevExpress.XtraRichEdit.RichEditDocumentServer.CalculateDocumentVariable) event handler.
+
+The `ImageStreamProvider` class is used to insert images from a database. The `GetStream` method parses the received URI (the INCLUDEPICTURE field), finds the required data row, and returns the `MemoryStream` containing an image.
+
+This project uses an XML file as the data source. The mail merge result is saved to the DOCX file.
+
+## Files to Review
+
+| C# | Visual Basic |
+|---------|----------|
+| [Program.cs](./CS/WordProcessingMailMerge/Program.cs) | [Program.vb](./VB/WordProcessingMailMerge/Program.vb) |
+| [ImageStreamProvider.cs](./CS/WordProcessingMailMerge/ImageStreamProvider.cs) | [ImageStreamProvider.vb](./VB/WordProcessingMailMerge/ImageStreamProvider.vb) |
+
+## More Examples
+
+* [How to Use DOCVARIABLE Fields in a Document](https://github.com/DevExpress-Examples/word-document-api-use-docvariable-fields)
+* [How to: Embed Images into a Mail Merge Template](https://github.com/DevExpress-Examples/how-to-use-images-in-richedit-mail-merge)
+* [How to: Send a Mail-Merge Document as an E-mail](https://github.com/DevExpress-Examples/word-document-api-send-mail-merge-document-as-email)
+* [How to: Import HTML Files that Contain Images Referenced with a Custom Prefix](https://github.com/DevExpress-Examples/how-to-import-html-files-that-contain-images-referenced-with-custom-prefix)
+
+## Documentation
+
+* [Mail Merge in Word Processing Document API](https://docs.devexpress.com/OfficeFileAPI/15277/word-processing-document-api/mail-merge)
+* [How to: Insert Dynamic Content](https://docs.devexpress.com/OfficeFileAPI/401197/word-processing-document-api/examples/text/how-to-insert-dynamic-content)
+* [How to: Replace a Placeholder with a Document Element](https://docs.devexpress.com/OfficeFileAPI/404369/word-processing-document-api/examples/search-and-replace/how-to-replace-a-placeholder-with-a-document-element)
+<!-- feedback -->
+## Does this example address your development requirements/objectives?
+
+[<img src="https://www.devexpress.com/support/examples/i/yes-button.svg"/>](https://www.devexpress.com/support/examples/survey.xml?utm_source=github&utm_campaign=word-document-api-mail-merge&~~~was_helpful=yes) [<img src="https://www.devexpress.com/support/examples/i/no-button.svg"/>](https://www.devexpress.com/support/examples/survey.xml?utm_source=github&utm_campaign=word-document-api-mail-merge&~~~was_helpful=no)
+
+(you will be redirected to DevExpress.com to submit your response)
+<!-- feedback end -->
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