Introduction:
What
Is a
Macro?
In a
game
with
the
size,
complexity,
and
depth
of
World
of
Warcraft,
many
features
can
be
overlooked
by
players,
including
longtime
veterans
who
have
been
playing
for
years.
Even
the
game's
familiar
features
often
have
additional
layers
of
complexity
that
many
players
may
not
use
or
be
aware
of.
Thus,
we
come
to
the
macro.
Essentially
macros
are
lines
of
script
that
execute
in-game
commands.
They
allow
you
to
combine
multiple
actions
into
one
user-customized
button
that
you
can
use
just
like
a
spell
or
ability.
For
example,
you
can
take
a
string
of
commands
that
you
would
ordinarily
press
one
after
the
other,
and
combine
them
into
one
button
that
executes
them
all
in
sequence.
These
helpful
tools
have
the
ability
to
improve
and
streamline
your
entire
play
experience.
Macros
have
something
to
offer
every
type
of
player,
casual
gamers
and
power
users
alike,
and
macros
suit
a
variety
of
play
styles
and
situations,
such
as
leading
a
PvE
raid,
battling
in
arena
PvP,
or
simply
role-playing
in
Ironforge.
Macros
can
be
one
of
the
most
useful
tools
in
your
arsenal
for
both
PvE
and
PvP.
They
save
time,
consolidate
multiple
actions,
aid
communication,
and
overall
make
your
time
in
Azeroth
more
convenient.
Our
Macro
Guide
seeks
to
bring
many
of
these
features
to
light.
The
beginning
section
will
serve
as
an
introduction
for
players
new
to
macros,
and
later
sections
will
explain
some
of
the
higher-level
scripting
functions
macros
are
capable
of.
Creating
a
Basic
Macro
The
Macro
Window
Now
that
we've
established
what
a
macro
is,
let's
take
a
look
at
how
to
create
one.
That's
the
most
straightforward
way
to
illustrate
some
of
the
macro's
basic
attributes.
Macros
have
their
own
submenu
in
the
Options
window.
Hit
Escape
or
click
the
computer
icon
on
the
far
right
of
your
bottom
main
menu
bar,
and
then
click
on
the
Macros
button.
The
Create
Macros
window
should
appear.
You
can
also
type
"/macro"
or
simply
"/m"
to
bring
up
this
window.
The
window
has
two
tabs,
one
for
general
macros
and
one
for
character-specific
ones.
You
can
have
up
to
18
general
macros
that
can
be
accessed
by
any
of
your
characters,
whereas
the
18
character-specific
macros
can
only
be
used
by
one
specific
character.
The
character-specific
macro
slots
are
therefore
best
used
for
class-
or
race-specific
ability
macros.
Macro
slots
can
be
overwritten
at
any
time,
so
feel
free
to
experiment
with
various
macros.
All
macros
are
stored
on
your
computer:
keep
this
in
mind
if
you
play
your
account
on
multiple
computers.
Under
the
slots
is a
window
that
displays
the
text
of
your
current
macro.
A
single
macro
can
have
up
to
255
characters
(including
spaces)
in
its
text
field.
A
"Change
Name/Icon"
button
is
normally
under
this
window,
displayed
next
to
the
macro's
icon.
However,
if
you're
creating
your
first
macro,
there
isn't
a
"Change
Name/Icon"
button
at
the
moment
because
there
aren't
any
macros
saved.
Let's
change
that!
Your
First
Macro
First,
select
"New"
to
create
a
new
macro.
Another
window
will
pop
up
with
a
field
for
the
macro's
name
at
the
top.
The
name
of
the
macro
should
be
as
short
and
descriptive
as
possible
because
its
name
will
be
displayed
on
the
icon
itself.
The
macro's
name
will
be
visually
truncated
on
the
icon
if
it's
too
long.
Thus,
abbreviations
and
acronyms
are
good
candidates
for
a
macro
name.
It's
actually
possible
to
display
no
name
if
you
enter
a
blank
space
as
the
macro's
name.
For
the
purposes
of
this
example,
let's
use
"Greet."
Below
the
name
field
is a
scrollable
grid
of
available
icons
for
the
macro.
Here
are
some
general
guidelines
for
picking
an
appropriate
icon:
The
question
mark
icon
found
in
the
upper
left
slot
automatically
assigns
an
icon
that
corresponds
to
the
first
ability
or
spell
in
the
macro.
We'll
go
into
more
detail
on
this
later.
In
general,
this
is a
good
default
icon
to
pick,
especially
if
you
don't
feel
like
poring
over
the
huge
list.
You
may
find
yourself
creating
a
macro
on
the
fly
to
adapt
to
whatever
situation
you're
in,
and
so
time
may
be
of
the
essence!
Pick
an
icon
that
is
distinctive
so
that
you
will
quickly
identify
and
process
what
it
does.
An
icon
that
reminds
you
of
the
macro's
purpose
helps
for
easy
identification
in
the
heat
of
combat.
Even
abstract
connections
can
serve
this
purpose.
For
instance,
if
you're
looking
for
an
icon
for
the
popular
"Assist"
macro,
you
could
select
an
icon
of a
sword,
a
shield,
or a
humanoid
figure
-
whatever
helps
you
remember.
If
you
pick
an
icon
that
matches
another
spell
in
your
arsenal,
the
resulting
overlap
could
lead
to
confusion.
However,
the
macro
will
display
its
name
in
its
icon
so
that
you
can
still
distinguish
between
your
regular
Pyroblast
and
your
trinket/Arcane
Power/Pyroblast
macro.
For
now,
pick
the
question
mark
icon.
Note
that
the
question
mark
icon
may
appear
to
be
highlighted
already.
Nevertheless,
you
must
actually
click
the
icon
to
enable
it
as
your
choice.
Now
you
should
see
the
macro
in
the
top
left
slot
in
the
window.
The
currently
selected
macro
is
highlighted,
and
its
text
is
displayed
in
the
command
window
below.
This
macro
does
nothing
at
the
moment:
its
command
window
is
empty.
Without
any
text,
the
macro
is
just
an
empty
shell
waiting
for
instructions.
Let's
enter
some
text
and
give
this
macro
a
purpose!
Click
anywhere
in
the
"Enter
Macro
Commands"
window.
Enter
these
commands
on
two
separate
lines:
/greet
/say
Hello
all!
After
you're
done
typing
these
commands,
you
don't
have
to
confirm
or
manually
save:
the
macro
is
updated
in
real
time.
The
next
time
you
return
to
the
Create
Macros
menu,
the
window
will
be
as
you
left
it,
with
the
last
selected
macro
and
its
text
displayed.
Drag
the
icon
down
to
an
empty
slot
in
your
action
bar.
You
should
see
the
icon
with
its
"Greet"
name
displayed.
Again,
this
name
would
have
been
truncated
if
it
had
been
too
long
to
fit
in
the
icon.
The
icon
should
remain
a
question
mark,
since
there
are
no
spells
or
abilities
in
the
macro.
That's
just
fine
for
now.
Now
for
the
moment
of
truth:
click
the
macro!
You
should
see
your
character
give
a
cheerful
greeting
to
everyone
in
the
area,
or
to
the
specific
person
you
have
targeted,
both
verbally
and
non-verbally.
Woot!
Adding
Other
Commands
Next,
let's
try
adding
another
command
to
our
fledgling
masterpiece.
First,
pick
a
commonly
used
non-aggressive
ability
for
your
character
class,
such
as
Stealth
for
rogues
or
Devotion
Aura
for
paladins.
Go
back
to
your
Macros
window,
and
you
should
see
your
Greet
macro
still
displayed
as
you
left
it.
Now,
enter
this
new
ability
at
the
top
of
the
command
window
so
that
it
becomes
the
new
first
line
of
the
macro:
/cast
Stealth
"Stealth"
should
be
replaced
with
whatever
ability
you
picked,
with
spaces
between
words
if
the
ability's
name
is
more
than
one
word:
"Greater
Heal,"
for
example.
Make
sure
the
name
is
exactly
as
it
appears
in
your
spellbook,
or
it
won't
be
recognized.
If
multiple
ranks
of
the
ability
are
available,
the
macro
will
automatically
use
the
highest
rank
known
by
your
character.
When
you're
finished,
close
the
macro
window
and
look
at
your
macro's
icon
in
the
action
bar.
If
you
selected
the
question
mark
icon,
it
should
have
automatically
changed
from
a
question
mark
to
the
appropriate
icon
for
that
ability!
Click
the
new
macro,
and
watch
as
your
character
performs
an
action
to
go
along
with
his
or
her
greeting.
Cool!
That's
all
for
our
introduction
to
macros.
In
the
next
update,
we'll
go
into
more
depth
on
the
types
of
macros
you
can
create
for
spells
and
abilities,
items,
targeting,
and
communication.
The
Many
Uses
of
the
Basic
Macro
In
our
first
section,
we
covered
the
basics
of
how
to
create
a
simple
macro,
but
that
was
just
the
tip
of
the
iceberg.
In
this
section,
we'll
cover
the
most
commonly
used
functions
of
macros:
using
and
equipping
items,
casting
spells
and
abilities,
smart
targeting,
and
improving
communication.
You'll
have
an
array
of
shiny
new
macros
lined
up
across
your
action
bar
in
no
time.
Using,
Equipping,
and
Managing
Items
with
Macros
Items
are
used
in
macros
with
the
/use
command.
No
more
fumbling
around
in
your
bags
to
find
that
particular
trinket
you
need
to
equip,
or
that
consumable
you
don't
have
on
your
action
bar,
especially
when
the
pressure
of
time
is
on.
There
are
several
methods
and
guidelines
for
the
/use
command:
.
