by Magedah Shabo

What Are Macros?

Using macros in Microsoft Word allows writers and editors to reduce a surprising variety of tasks to a quick keystroke. Learning even a few basic macros can dramatically speed up your workflow, making the editing process more efficient and leaving you more time to analyze the substance of a text instead of just fixing mechanics.

Best of all, you can create your first macro in three steps. No coding skills required! 😌

Step 1: Access the Developer tab

To use macros, first select the Developer tab on the ribbon at the top of Word.

Step 2: Record a macro

After selecting the Developer tab:

1. Click “Record Macro.”
2. Assign a name to the macro.
3. Optionally, assign the macro to a button or keyboard shortcut for quick access. (Tip: Make it memorable, like CTRL+C for adding a comment.)
4. Choose where to save the macro (in the current document or a template for use in all documents).
5. Click “OK” to start recording. Perform the tasks you want the macro to automate.
6. Click “Stop Recording” when finished, found either in the Developer tab or in the status bar at the document’s bottom.

You now have a macro!

Step 3: Run your macro

After creating your macro, you can run it to automate the tasks it was designed to do. To execute your macro:

1. Navigate to the Developer tab and click “Macros.”
2. Select your macro from the list and click “Run.” Alternatively, if you assigned your macro to a button or a keyboard shortcut, you can simply click the button or use the shortcut.

If you’ve made it this far, you are now officially a macro user! 😍

What can macros do?

Popular macros let you perform many tasks with just a gesture.

You can:

• Launch Google and other sites
• Convert numerals to text (or vice versa)
• Apply global changes (e.g., apply correct title case to headings)
• Insert pre-written comments or boilerplate text
• Automate complex formatting
• Generate custom interactive forms
• Perform batch updates to metadata or styles
• Check for consistency (e.g., use of proper nouns or hyphenation)

Next up: Expand your macro tool kit

Stay tuned for my next post where I’ll explore how to easily find and implement popular community-created macros.