A Macro recorder is a tool that enables you to record monotonous actions on your computer like, mouse movement, clicks, keystrokes, etc. For playback future. If you are annoyed of doing repetitive tasks on your personal computer you can make use of these macro recorders.

To automate a repetitive task, you can record a macro with the Macro Recorder in Microsoft Excel. Imagine you have dates in random formats and you want to apply a single format to all of them. A macro can do that for you. You can record a macro applying the format you want, and then replay the macro whenever needed.

When you record a macro, the macro recorder records all the steps in Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) code. These steps can include typing text or numbers, clicking cells or commands on the ribbon or on menus, formatting cells, rows, or columns, or even importing data from an external source, say, Microsoft Access. Visual Basic Application (VBA) is a subset of the powerful Visual Basic programming language, and is included with most Office applications. Although VBA gives you the ability to automate processes within and between Office applications, it is not necessary to know VBA code or computer programming if the Macro Recorder does what you want.

It is important to know that you when you record a macro, the Macro Recorder captures almost every move you make. So if you make a mistake in your sequence, for example, clicking a button that you did not intend to click, the Macro Recorder will record it. The resolution is to re-record the entire sequence, or modify the VBA code itself. This is why whenever you record something, it's best to record a process with which you're highly familiar. The more smoothly you record a sequence, the more efficiently the macro will run when you play it back.

Macros and VBA tools can be found on the Developer tab, which is hidden by default, so the first step is to enable it. For more information, see Show the Developer tab.

Record a macro

There are a few helpful things you should know about macros:

• When you record a macro for performing a set of tasks in a range in Excel, the macro will only run on the cells within the range. So if you added an extra row to the range, the macro will not run the process on the new row, but only the cells within the range.

• If you have planned a long process of tasks to record, plan to have smaller relevant macros instead of having one long macro.

• It is not necessary that only tasks in Excel can be recorded in a macro. Your macro process can extend to other Office applications, and any other applications that support Visual Basic Application (VBA). For example, you can record a macro where you first update a table in Excel and then open Outlook to email the table to an email address.

Follow these steps to record a macro.

1. On the Developer tab, in the Code group, click Record Macro.

   -OR-

   Press Alt+T+M+R .

2. In the Macro name box, enter a name for the macro. Make the name as descriptive as possible so you can quickly find it if you create more than one macro.

   Note: The first character of the macro name must be a letter. Subsequent characters can be letters, numbers, or underscore characters. Spaces cannot be used in a macro name; an underscore character works well as a word separator. If you use a macro name that is also a cell reference, you may get an error message that the macro name is not valid.

3. To assign a keyboard shortcut to run the macro, in the Shortcut key box, type any letter (both uppercase or lowercase will work) that you want to use. It is best to use Ctrl + Shift (uppercase) key combinations, because the macro shortcut key will override any equivalent default Excel shortcut key while the workbook that contains the macro is open. For instance, if you use Ctrl+Z (Undo), you will lose the ability to Undo in that Excel instance.

4. In the Store macro in list, select where you want to store the macro.

   In general, you’ll save your macro in the This Workbook location, but if you want a macro to be available whenever you use Excel, select Personal Macro Workbook . When you select Personal Macro Workbook, Excel creates a hidden personal macro workbook (Personal.xlsb) if it does not already exist, and saves the macro in this workbook.

5. In the Description box, optionally type a brief description of what the macro does.

   Although the description field is optional, it is recommended you enter one. Also, try to enter a meaningful description with any information that may be useful to you or other users who will be running the macro. If you create a lot of macros, the description can help you quickly identify which macro does what, otherwise you might have to guess.

6. Click OK to start recording.

7. Perform the actions that you want to record.

8. On the Developer tab, in the Code group, click Stop Recording .

   -OR-

   Press Alt+T+M+R .

Working with recorded macros in Excel

In the Developer tab, click Macros to view macros associated to a workbook. Or press Alt+ F8. This opens the Macro dialog box.

Caution: Macros cannot be undone. Before you run a recorded macro for the first time, make sure that you’ve either saved the workbook where you want to run the macro, or better yet work on a copy of the workbook to prevent unwanted changes. If you run a macro and it doesn’t do what you want, you can close the workbook without saving it.

Here's further information on working with macros in Excel.

Working with recorded code in the Visual Basic Editor (VBE)

You can work with recorded code in the Visual Basic Editor (VBE) and add your own variables, control structures, and other code that the Macro Recorder cannot record. Since the macro recorder captures almost every step you take while recording, you can also clean up any unnecessary recorded code that serves no purpose in the macro. Reviewing your recorded code is a great way to learn or sharpen your VBA programming skills.

For more information on modifying recorded code in an example, see Getting Started with VBA in Excel.

Record a macro

There are a few helpful things you should know about macros:

• When you record a macro for performing a set of tasks in a range in Excel, the macro will only run on the cells within the range. So if you added an extra row to the range, the macro will not run the process on the new row, but only the cells within the original range.

• If you have planned a long process of tasks to record, plan to have smaller relevant macros instead of having one long macro.

• It is not necessary that only tasks in Excel can be recorded in a macro. Your macro process can extend to other Office applications, and any other applications that support Visual Basic Application (VBA). For example, you can record a macro where you first update a table in Excel and then open Outlook to email the table to an email address.

Free Macro Recorder For Games

Macros and VBA tools can be found on the Developer tab, which is hidden by default, so the first step is to enable it.

1. Go to Excel > Preferences… > Ribbon & Toolbar.

2. In the Customize the Ribbon category, in the Main Tabs list, select the Developer check box, and then click Save.

Follow these steps to record a macro.

1. On the Developer tab, click Record Macro.

2. In the Macro name box, enter a name for the macro. Make the name as descriptive as possible, so you can quickly find it if you create more than one macro.

   Note: The first character of the macro name must be a letter. Subsequent characters can be letters, numbers, or underscore characters. Spaces cannot be used in a macro name; an underscore character works well as a word separator. If you use a macro name that is also a cell reference, you may get an error message that the macro name is not valid.

3. In the Store macro in list, select where you want to store the macro.

   In general, you’ll save your macro in the This Workbook location, but if you want a macro to be available whenever you use Excel, select Personal Macro Workbook. When you select Personal Macro Workbook, Excel creates a hidden personal macro workbook (PERSONAL.XLSB) if it does not already exist, and saves the macro in this workbook. Workbooks in that folder are opened automatically whenever Excel starts, and any code you have stored in the personal macro workbook will be listed in the Macro dialog, which is explained in the next section.

4. To assign a keyboard shortcut to run the macro, in the Shortcut key box, type any letter (both uppercase or lowercase will work) that you want to use. It is best to use key combinations that don't correspond to existing shortcut keys, as a macro shortcut key will override any equivalent default Excel shortcut key while the workbook that contains the macro is open.

5. In the Description box, optionally type a brief description of what the macro does.

   Although the description field is optional, it is recommended you enter one. It's helpful to enter a meaningful description with any information that may be useful to you or other users who will be running the macro. If you create a lot of macros, the description can help you quickly identify which macro does what, otherwise you might have to guess.

6. Click OK to start recording.

7. Perform the actions that you want to record.

8. On the Developer tab, click Stop Recording.

Working with recorded macros in Excel

In the Developer tab, click Macros to view macros associated to a workbook. This opens the Macro dialog box.

Note: Macros cannot be undone. Before you run a recorded macro for the first time, make sure that you’ve either saved the workbook where you want to run the macro, or better yet work on a copy of the workbook to prevent unwanted changes. If you run a macro and it doesn’t do what you want, you can close the workbook without saving it.

Here's further information on working with macros in Excel.

Need more help?

You can always ask an expert in the Excel Tech Community, get support in the Answers community, or suggest a new feature or improvement on Excel User Voice.

If you’re an avid gamer, you might be used to clicking plenty of keys and mouse buttons at the same time to perform certain actions in a game. However, in some scenarios, it’s too hard to make it work, especially during intense situations in a game. This is exactly where macros kick in, as they manage to do a great job in offloading the tasks that you otherwise have to manually perform by clicking multiple keys or buttons. By definition, macros include a series of keystrokes, mouse-clicks and even delays that can be played back to assist repetitive tasks. Usually, a software is used in addition to supported hardware in order to record a macro. Well, if you own a Logitech gaming mouse or keyboard, you’re in luck as the company provides their own software that can be easily used to record a multi-key macro within seconds. If you’re keen on creating your own one for gaming, let’s take a look at how to create a macro on Logitech mouse and keyboard:

Create Macro For Logitech Gaming Mouse

Note: I created a multi-key macro for my Logitech G900 Chaos Spectrum wireless gaming mouse using this software and it worked flawlessly every time. As long as you have a compatible Logitech G gaming mouse, you’ll be able to do the same as well

To record macros, we’ll be making use of Logitech Gaming Software that can be downloaded for free from the official support website. Once installed, make sure you’ve connected your mouse to the computer wired or wirelessly depending on the mouse, and simply follow the steps below to create a macro in a jiffy:

• Choose your mouse from the devices section in the Logitech Gaming Software and click on the mouse icon as shown in the screenshot below.

• Right-click on the button that you want to assign the macro function to and click on “Assign New Command”. It’s worth noting that only some buttons will have support for macro function assignment and they’re usually located on the sides in Logitech mice.

• In the next pop-up menu, head over to the “Multikey Macro” section and click on “Start Recording”. Before recording, you can also choose to record delays between events.

• Once the recording has been initiated, you need to press a series of keys as per your requirement based on the game you’re playing and then click on Stop Recording. In order to finally assign the macro, simply click on “OK”.

Create A Macro For Logitech Gaming Keyboard

Note: I created a multi-key macro on the Logitech G213 Prodigy RGB keyboard using this software and it worked flawlessly every time. As long as you have a compatible Logitech G gaming keyboard, you’ll be able to do the same as well.

The procedure is identical to the one which we just discussed for the Logitech mouse, except for some minor changes. So, simply follow the steps below to assign a macro for your Logitech gaming keyboard within seconds:

• Choose your keyboard from the devices section in the Logitech Gaming Software and click on the G key icon as shown in the screenshot below.

• Now, right click on any one of the 12 function keys located at the top of your keyboard and click on “Assign New Command”.

• Once the next menu pops up, head over to the “Multikey Macro” section and click on “Start Recording”. Here, you can also choose to record delays between events before you actually start the recording process.

• Now, you need to press a series of keys as per your requirement depending on the game you’re playing and once you’re done, click on Stop Recording. There’s one additional option here which we didn’t notice while assigning the macro for the mouse, and that’s Repeat Options. You can either choose to repeat the macro functions while the key is pressed or toggled, which helps a lot for many gamers out there.

SEE ALSO: How to Enable Surround Sound on Logitech Gaming Headsets

Use Macros to Perform Actions Faster

With macro functions, the keys you need to press are significantly reduced, thereby letting you perform your actions faster than your opponents in a game. This makes a huge difference in fast-paced video games where every second counts. Well, we’re glad that we could help you guys out with the macro set-up process. So, are you ready to assign a macro to your new Logitech gaming mouse or keyboard to offload your tasks? Do let us know your thoughts by dropping your valuable opinions in the comments section down below.

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