How to Set Up a WoW Macro

If you’re not using macros then you’re missing out. Apart from simply practicing and learning your class, nothing else can improve your play and elevate your overall performance in the way that using macros can. Unfortunately, I think a lot of players don’t bother with them because they either: don’t know about them -or- are intimidated by what appears to be a bunch of techie mumbo jumbo.

I’m going to show you how easy it is to get up and running with macros…

1) First off, pick a macro that you want to use for your hunter by selecting one from my macros page. Copy it to your clipboard by selecting all of the macro text, then hitting ctrl+c (command+c on a mac). For this example, I’m going to show you how to create a macro for Silencing Shot.

Silencing Shot Macro

2) Open up your Macros interface in WoW by going to the game menu (esc key) and clicking on Macros.

Hunter Macro Tutorial - Step 1

3) You can select whether you want it to be a General macro, accessible across all characters -or- you can make it character-specific by selecting one of the tabs at the top. Next, click ‘New”.

Hunter Macro Tutorial - Step 2

4) Enter the name of the macro – usually 3-6 characters is fine, then click ‘Okay’.

Hunter Macro Tutorial - Step 3

5) Click inside the blank window and paste in the copied macro text by hitting ctrl+v (command+v on a mac).

Hunter Macro Tutorial - Step 4

6) Click and drag the macro icon from the Macros interface down to your action bar and start owning with it!

Hunter Macro Tutorial - Step 5

7) In the image below, notice how I am able to simultaneously Silence one target while maintaining pressure on another – without having to re-target..? I am DPS’ing the center target dummy while at the same time silencing the one on the left. The image doesn’t show it, but I didn’t have to drop my current target in order to silence the other.

I vastly improved the usability and efficiency of my Silencing Shot ability just by taking a minute to enhance it with a macro. I made it so that my Silencing Shot will instantly hit my enemy focus target if I have one designated, or fire at a mouseover target if I have one – all while I’m still pounding away on my primary kill target.

These types of enhancements to your abilities can transform your game play, so please start using macros if you aren’t already. 🙂

Hunter Silencing Shot Macro

Hopefully this short tutorial will help to demystify the practice of configuring and using macros. If you have additional questions about macros, please refer to my hunter macros page.

What are you waiting for… start setting up some macros!

Good luck and happy hunting!

20 thoughts on “How to Set Up a WoW Macro”

  1. my computer had a weird moment and idk if my thing posted so same question…
    my action bars are full but when i create a macro that combines more than one cast do i remove those casts from my action bars and place the macro in their place?

    Reply
  2. hey just wondering this may seem like a stupid question lol but my action bars are full where do i drag my macros or if i combine a bunch of casts do i remove them from my bars to place the macro?

    Reply
  3. First Thanks for the disclaming words, but i´ve 1 Question at all.
    Is there a way to combine the spells,”murder of crows, Stampede, and Alphatier” in one Macro?
    I think ive messed up that macro, and can´t bring it back to work 🙁
    ( sry for my bada englich, but it´s not my nutual language )

    Reply
  4. how would I make a macro to cast (on my mage) frost nova and blink at the same time or my racial as a human and then blink? I’ve tried /cast frost nova
    /cast blink
    and it doesn’t work! HALP!

    Reply
    • Perri, you can use something like this:

      #showtooltip Frost Nova
      /castsequence reset=2 Frost Nova, Blink

      Frost Nova and Blink share a GCD – so the two spells won’t activate simultaneously – but you can spam the key and it will cast Frost nova and then Blink as soon as the GCD is up.

      Hope that helps. 🙂

      Reply
  5. HI there Gar! I’m just wondering how will I make that macro that will cast volley shots at Lich King while doing the tranquilizing shots at enraged shambling horror in just one key press (if it is possible). Or any macro that will do this kind of attack. I’m referring to LK fight (WOTLK 3.3.5) Thank you in advance and more power!

    Reply
  6. I am having a problem like Antonium. I have made the macro for scatter shot, it will only say the shot and not perform it. Can anyone give me some help here?

    Reply
  7. hey guys I need a macro. I like the one on the site for “Pull”. But I wanna be able to have my pet attack, use hunters mark, then hit them with my Aimed shot then tap them with arcane shot. so in order I guess it would be
    Hunters mark
    pet attack
    Aimed shot
    Arcane shot.
    Anyone tell me how to do this?

    Reply
  8. Only thing I would like to add is that when I make macros, I set them slightly different to Gar’s STFU macro pictured. In my mind (and playstyle) I place higher priority on mouseover targets than focus targets… maybe I need educating… making my macros look like:

    /cast [@mouseover,harm][@focus,exists][@target] Silencing Shot

    Cheers
    D

    Reply
  9. *grins* a suitably named macro Garwulf – love it ! 😀

    Just bought a new keyboard and decided maybe it’s time to try a macro or 2 *dips foot in the water* with my little hunter since finding a decent guild.

    Reply
  10. First…/bow 🙂
    Can you please tell me if i can use only generel focus macro and then cast keybinded shots?Not to put lets say silencing shot in macro added above?

    Tnx.

    Reply

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