How to Use Excel Macros to automate Spreadsheets

Microsoft Excel is a spreadsheet developed by Microsoft for Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS. It features calculation, graphing tools, pivot tables, and a macro programming language called Visual Basic for Applications. Excel has become the most popular personal computer data processing software because of its intuitive interface, excellent calculation functions, and chart tools.

Excel provides a lot of useful functions, but there are still many tasks that cannot be done in batches with existing functions, such as the merging and splitting of multiple excel tables. With the help of macro functions, tasks that cannot be processed or completed in batches will become very simple.

1. What Is A Macro?

A macro is a set of instructions that perform a certain function by executing a set of commands similar to batch processing. Microsoft Office components can support the operation of Macro. A Microsoft Office Macro is simply Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) code saved inside a document. It is a programming language developed by Microsoft to perform common automated tasks in its desktop applications. It is mainly used to extend Windows application functions, especially Microsoft Office software.

Using macros in Excel, we can complete many special applications that the program does not originally support, such as completing certain special data calculations, or special formatting of documents, etc. Macros are tools that automate repetitive tasks. As long as you can use Excel, you can learn to record a macro in Excel to improve your work efficiency. Next, we will show you how to record a simple macro step by step.

2. How to Enable the Macro Function

Macros and VBA tools can be found on the Developer tab. If you need to record and manage macros, you need to use the "Development Tools" tab. By default, Excel does not display this tab. So before you record a macro, you need to enable it. The process for enabling macros is the same for Excel 2010, 2013, and 2016.

Step 1. On the "File" tab, go to "Options" > "Customize Ribbon".

Step 2. Check the "Developer" box in the list on the right.

Step 3. Click the "OK" button. You'll see the "Developer" tab appear at the end of your tab list.

3. How to Record a Macro in Excel

Step 1. Click the "Developer" > "Record Macro" to start.

Step 2. Type in the name of your macro, enter a shortcut key in the "Shortcut key" box, and a description in the "Description" box, and then click the "OK" button to start recording.

Step 3. When finished, switch to the "Developer" tab and click the "Stop Recording" button. Then the recording is finished.

Step 4. There are three ways to use the macro. After the macro is recorded, you can use the macro shortcut key just set to quickly use the macro.

You can also use the macro by clicking "Macro" on the "Developer" tab. Just select the cell then click the "Macro" > " Run" button is also supported.

Step 5. You can open your excel workbook and then click on the "Visual Basic" command under the "DEVELOPER" tab, or just press the "ALT+F11" shortcut to see the code for an existing macro.

4. How to Remove a Macro in Excel

Step 1. Click the "Developer" > "Macros" button.

Step 2. In the Macro dialog box, select the macro you want to delete. Then choose the "Delete" button. In the message box that appears, choose "Yes".

There is another approach to remove macros with the existing workbook.

Step 1. Click the "DEVELOPER" > "Visual Basic".

Step 2. Right-click on a module that you want to delete in the Project Explorer then right-click on it and choose the "Remove" option.

5. Useful Excel Macro Examples

As a beginner, it may take you some time to use the macro function, but once it is completed, you can use it as a reference and use it directly afterward. We will introduce some basic Macro examples below; they can speed up your work and save you a lot of time. For your convenience, you can learn the useful Macro examples directly by reading "24 Useful Excel Macro Examples for Beginners".

FAQ

1. In addition to Microsoft Excel, what is the best program to use for making a spreadsheet?

For more information about the program, you can read the"10 best spreadsheet software options to try in 2020" article.

2. How can I convert a PDF with a spreadsheet to Excel?

You can use the free online PDF to Excel Converter on EasePDF to achieve it. If you don't know how to convert it, you can read "How to Convert PDF to Excel Spreadsheets".

Conclusion

We believe that you have learned how to enable, record, and remove macros in Excel by reading this post. We also provided some useful macro examples for you. With the above methods, we believe that you can learn how to use Excel skillfully. If you have more Excel methods about Macros, please contact us!