How to make macros in WoW Classic

WoW Classic is live and with it comes the task of rewriting all of your macros and figuring out with ones you need in order to play your class well.

The first thing you should know is that, like addons, the macros are based on the same API as the current game. That doesn’t mean that every macro works (focus targets are gone), but it means that writing them is fairly simple. It also means you can do things like mouseover macros.

In this Priest video, Kala makes a macro that casts Dispel on mouseover as well as a self. He also shows off a Mind Flay macro to never interrupt its channel — which is very useful given how important mana conservation is to leveling. Even if you aren’t a Priest, macros like this can be modified to make similar macros for any class and spell.

To give your own macros a whirl, click macros in the game menu, then select new. From there, pick an icon (if you want), paste the macro code, and click save. Now, drag the macro to your button bars and click it (or hit your hotkey for it) to see if it works as expected. It can take a little trial and error to modify macros to work the way you want, but with these basics, you should be able to build a lot of useful macros.

There’s also a good thread about class-specific Classic macros on Reddit, and these are likely to be the most useful for gameplay. Macros that can weave racial abilities and other instants into your rotation will make leveling up efficient and considerably less dangerous. There are a few cases where classes function better based on macros. They’re not going to make or break your journey — but they can make it more convenient.

Need even more info?  This exhaustive macro guide on the forums covers modern macro-making, and most of it should be applicable to WoW Classic — though what is (and isn’t) available on the Classic servers could change at any time.