Macro FAQ

How do I write a Macro? See the Macros page.

How do I write a Macro to do XXXX? Check the Most Used Macros to see if someone has already done something like this. Check the question below "What can't a macro do?" to see if its going to be impossible. If neither of these help, try asking on the World of Warcraft UI & Macros Forum.

What can't a macro do? A Macro cannot:

• Cast a spell/ability without you pressing a button
• Cast more than one spell/ability per button press, unless using an ability that isn't affected by global cooldown, like feign death or judgement.
• Wait or pause before activating a spell/ability
• Target another player's pet automatically (you can only automatically target your own pet)
• Output anything to file other than saved variables
• Use more than 255 characters

So what can a macro do? You can call any script command (/script ScriptFunction), any standard WoW /command such as /say or /attack, and any additional /commands made available by the AddOns you've installed. (If you need to write a long macro, write it as an AddOn in a lua file and bind it to a slash command. See the section on Lua and XML for more details.)

What's the real deal with pauses? You can't use a pause before a spell or ability. However... you can use certain script commands based on time, such as the movement commands. See the World of Warcraft API for more on those.

• UI FAQ/Macros and Scripts
• Most used macros