🧙♂️ World of Warcraft Macro Guide (Beginner → Advanced)
🧩 What Are Macros?
Macros in World of Warcraft are custom commands that let you combine abilities, items, and targeting into a single button.
👉 Instead of pressing multiple keys, you press one.
⚙️ How to Create a Macro
Follow these steps:
- Press ESC and click Macros
- Choose General or your Character-specific tab
- Click New
- Pick an icon (or use
?for auto icon) - Name your macro
- Enter your commands
- Drag it to your action bar
🧱 Basic Macro Commands
⚔️ Start Attack
🎯 Cast a Spell
🎒 Use an Item
🎯 Target Enemy
🔀 Combining Commands
You can stack commands together:
/cast Sinister Strike
👉 This ensures you always auto-attack while using abilities.
🔁 Cast Sequences
✔ Each press moves to the next spell
✔ Resets when you change target
🎯 Focus Target Macros
Set a focus target:
Use abilities on that target:
👉 Perfect for PvP and interrupting bosses.
🧠 Conditionals (Advanced)
Conditionals make macros smart:
🖱️ Mouseover Healing
⚔️ Harm vs Help
⌨️ Modifier Keys
👉 Hold Shift to change the spell.
🚫 Important Limitations
❌ One key press = one action
❌ No full automation or botting
❌ Cannot bypass cooldowns
⚡ Useful Everyday Macros
🛡️ Trinket + Ability
/cast Avenging Wrath
⚔️ Auto Attack + Ability
/cast Heroic Strike
🧼 Stop Casting (Interrupt)
/cast Counterspell
💡 Pro Tips
✔ Use ? icon to auto-update based on ability
✔ Keep macros short (255 character limit in WotLK)
✔ Organize by class/role
✔ Test macros on target dummies
🏁 Final Thoughts
Macros are one of the most powerful tools in World of Warcraft.
Once you get comfortable, you’ll play faster, cleaner, and more efficiently.
💬 Got a macro you love? Share it with the community!
📜 WoW Macro Command Reference
⚙️ Core Commands (Most Used)
These are the backbone of almost every macro:
/cast– Cast a spell/use– Use an item or equipment slot/castsequence– Cycle through spells/startattack– Begin auto attack/stopattack– Stop auto attacking/stopcasting– Cancel current cast/target– Target a unit by name/targetenemy– Target nearest enemy/targetfriend– Target nearest friendly/assist– Target your target’s target/focus– Set focus target/clearfocus– Clear focus/petattack– Send pet to attack/petfollow– Call pet back/petpassive– Set pet passive/petdefensive– Set pet defensive
🎯 Targeting & Control Commands
/targetlasttarget– Switch back to previous target/targetenemyplayer– Target nearest enemy player/targetparty– Target party member/targetraid– Target raid member/cleartarget– Clear current target
🧠 Conditionals (Used Inside Macros)
These go inside [ ] and make macros dynamic:
[help]– Friendly target[harm]– Enemy target[exists]– Target exists[dead]/[nodead]– Dead or alive[combat]/[nocombat]– In combat or not[stealth]– In stealth[mod:shift],[mod:ctrl],[mod:alt]– Modifier keys[@mouseover]– Mouseover target[@focus]– Focus target[@player]– Yourself[stance:x]– Stance/form (Warrior/Druid)[pet]– Pet exists
👉 Example:
🔀 Utility & Interface Commands
/showtooltip– Displays tooltip for spell/item/equip– Equip item/equipslot– Equip item to specific slot/cancelaura– Remove a buff/dismount– Dismount/runor/script– Run Lua code/click– Simulate button click/stopmacro– Stop macro execution
🐾 Pet & Companion Commands
/petattack/petfollow/petstay/petpassive/petdefensive/petaggressive/cast [@pet] SpellName
💬 Chat & Emote Commands (Optional Use)
/say– Say message/yell– Yell message/party– Party chat/raid– Raid chat/emote– Custom emote/laugh,/dance, etc.
👉 Example:
/cast Taunt
⚔️ Combat Utility Commands
/startattack/stopattack/attack(less commonly used)/assist focus/focus target
⚡ Advanced / Less Common
/castsequence reset=target/combat/time– Reset conditions/in(addon required) – Delay command/use 13//use 14– Trinket slots/targetexact– Exact name targeting/changeactionbar– Switch action bars/swapactionbar– Swap bars
🚫 Not Allowed in Macros
Blizzard restrictions (important for your users):
❌ No automatic rotations
❌ No decision-making beyond conditionals
❌ No timed delays (without addons)
❌ No casting multiple spells per click
💡 Pro Tip Section
✔ Combine /startattack with abilities for melee
✔ Use [mod:shift] to save action bar space
✔ Use [@mouseover] for healers
✔ Always include /showtooltip for clean UI
