How to Create a Simple Macro in Excel

Microsoft Excel is a part of Microsoft’s Office suite and is one of the most popular and powerful spreadsheet applications available for computers running Windows and Mac OS. A simple layout and easy to use features are two of many reasons which make Excel a widely used software. As is the case with any computer application, Excel underwent a number of development phases over the years. Apart from countless data analysis features, Excel allows users to create macros (sets of instructions that are repeated automatically for a predefined number of times). Creating a simple macro in Excel is a very easy task and does not take too much time.

Instructions

  • 1

    Launch a new session of Microsoft Excel and wait for a few moments so that the program can load completely.

  • 2

    Click on the Microsoft Office logo at the top left corner of the Excel screen and then click the button labelled ‘Excel Options’. From the left hand pane of the dialogue box which appears, click ‘Customise Ribbon’ and then check the option labelled ‘Developer’ on the right hand pane. Click ‘OK’ to confirm. You should now be able see the Developer tab on Excel's main screen.

  • 3

    Change the title of the worksheet on which you are working. You can choose any title that you deem appropriate.

  • 4

    Click on the tab labelled ‘Developers’ and then click the optioned labelled ‘Record Macro’ to open the Record Macro dialogue box.

  • 5

    You will now need to specify the macro perimeters. Name the macro, choose a shortcut key for the macro, choose where you would like the macro to be stored and add a short description of the macro you are creating in the appropriate fields.

  • 6

    You now need to record the steps of the macro. Click on the button labelled ‘OK’ on the Record Macro dialogue box. From this point onwards, all the actions you perform on the worksheet would be recorded until you stop the recording process.

  • 7

    Perform all the actions you would like the macro to repeat. Be sure to get the clicks right. When you are done, click on the tab labelled ‘Developer’ and click the button labelled ‘Stop Recording’.

  • 8

    Select a new worksheet from the tabs at the bottom of the Excel screen and click on the cell from which you started recording the macro. Type in the predefined title and press the ‘Enter’ key. Click the ‘Macros’ button under the ‘Developer’ tab then select ‘format_titles’ macro in the ‘Macro name’ window under the ‘View Macro’ dialogue box. Finally, click the button labelled ‘Run’ to start the macro.

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