At a glance
This guide collects what Blizzard has said about WoW Forever macros and how to make them.
It is based on Blizzard's EULA, support articles, class deep dives and beta notes.
We have not tested these macros in the beta ourselves.
Blizzard post dates are U.S. dates; player forum posts are dated in UTC.
Blizzard's support site says macros are fully supported in World of Warcraft.
Blizzard has not published a separate macro guide or macro policy for Forever.
In-game macros are fine; bots, cheats and software that mirrors your keys are not.
Beta players report that mouseover and stance conditions work in macros.
The rest of the syntax here is standard WoW macro syntax, not confirmed for Forever.
Forever's class changes also change some macros, such as the Warlock's new Banes.
We checked every spell name against Wowhead's Forever data in English, German and Korean.
What Blizzard allows and bans
Blizzard's support article 16491 asks whether macros are allowed in World of Warcraft.
It also asks whether you may automate macros for certain spells or clicks.
Its only answer is to read the EULA and the In-Game Code of Conduct.
Support article 382409 says macros are fully supported in World of Warcraft.
It adds that Customer Support cannot help you create or edit them.
| What | Status | Blizzard source |
|---|---|---|
| Macros made in the in-game macro window | Supported | Support article 382409 |
| Bots that control a character for you | Banned | EULA, Cheating |
| Software that mirrors keys to several clients | Banned | Policy updateNovember 3, 2020 |
| Macros from mouse or keyboard software | Not confirmedno Blizzard text found | None found |
The EULA page we read was last revised on March 21, 2024.
Its de-de and ko-kr addresses show the same English text.
Under Cheating, it bans bots: unauthorized code that automates control of a character.
It bans cheats by hardware or software that give an advantage, bug exploits included.
It also bans unauthorized code or software that changes or eases gameplay.
While running, the game may scan your memory for such unauthorized programs.
On November 3, 2020, Blizzard announced action against input broadcasting software.
Such software mirrors one keystroke to several game clients, often for multiboxing.
Blizzard said warnings would escalate to suspensions and, if needed, permanent closure.
We found no Forever exception to that policy.
Our reading: macros you write in the game's macro window fit these rules.
We found no Blizzard text that allows macros from mouse or keyboard software.
Because the EULA also bans hardware cheats, every macro here stays inside the game.
What Blizzard said for Forever, and what it did not
In the developer Q&A of September 17, the team said Forever uses the modern addon API.
It expects the simpler boss fights to keep combat restrictions from hurting play.
It also named a damage meter and a Cooldown Manager, and said a swing timer may come soon.
We read the video's full auto-generated captions: macros were not discussed.
Modern WoW added macro limits on March 1, 2026, in a Community Manager post.
Macros can no longer set target markers on more than 3 units within a very short time.
In a boss encounter, macros cannot post in guild, community or custom chat channels.
Party and raid chat from macros is rate-limited and needs the whole group in the instance.
Whispers from macros need the target in the instance and are rate-limited as well.
Blizzard has not said whether these limits apply to Forever.
Our reading: since Forever uses the modern API, plan as if they might.
The beta development notes mention macros three times so far.
October 1: macros on a gamepad action bar can be moved again.
October 8: the Specific macros list no longer shows General macros.
October 8: you can again swap several weapons within one global cooldown by macro.
Blizzard's example is a macro that swaps a two-handed weapon for a sword and shield.
How to make a macro
Type /macro in chat to open the macro window.
Blizzard's October 8 beta notes name its two lists: General and Specific macros.
Click New, enter a name and pick an icon.
With the question-mark icon and #showtooltip, the button shows the spell it will cast.
Write one command per line in the text box, then click Save.
Drag the icon from the list onto an action bar and bind a key to that slot.
Make a macro
- Type /macroin the chat box
- Click Newname and icon
- Write the linesone command per line
- Click Save
- Drag to an action barthen bind a key
A beta forum thread of September 16 asks Blizzard to raise the 255-character limit.
Blizzard has not replied there or published a Forever limit.
Every macro on this page stays well under 255 characters.
Saving macros and the beta save problem
Blizzard support article 21759 says macros are saved when you exit through the game menu.
Quitting with Alt+F4 can lose them, so click Logout or Exit.
If they still vanish, it suggests unticking Read-only on the WTF folder.
In the beta, players reported from September 21 to 25 that Save did nothing.
One player said clicking New again, retyping the name and saving worked.
Another said disconnects reverted their settings and macros.
These are player reports; those threads had no Blizzard reply when we checked.
No beta note up to October 8 mentions a fix for saving macros.
Keep a text copy of macros you care about while the beta lasts.
Lines and conditions you will use
A macro is a list of slash commands, one per line.
#showtooltip makes the button show the icon and tooltip of the spell it casts.
/cast casts a spell and /use uses an item; both accept conditions in square brackets.
/startattack turns on auto-attack, and /petattack sends your pet at your target.
/cancelform leaves a Druid shapeshift form.
Conditions are read from left to right; the first one that matches is used.
A semicolon starts the next option, and an empty [] means your current target.
[@mouseover,help,nodead] means a living friend under your mouse cursor.
[@mouseover,harm,nodead] is the same for a living enemy.
[mod:shift] applies while you hold Shift.
For Warriors, [stance:1] is Battle Stance and [stance:2] is Defensive Stance.
[stealth] and [nostealth] check whether you are stealthed.
A ! before a spell name keeps a toggle such as Auto Shot from switching off.
| Line or condition | What it does | Forever status |
|---|---|---|
| #showtooltip | Shows the spell's icon and tooltip | Standard syntax |
| [@mouseover,help,nodead] | Living friend under the cursor | Player reportSeptember 24 |
| [stance:1] / [stance:2] | Battle or Defensive Stance | Player reportSeptember 23 |
| [mod:shift] | While Shift is held | Standard syntax |
| [stealth] / [nostealth] | Stealthed or not | Standard syntax |
| /startattack, /petattack | Auto-attack; send your pet | Standard syntax |
Standard syntax: modern WoW macro syntax that Blizzard has not confirmed for Forever.
On September 24, a beta player wrote that a /cast macro with [@mouseover] works.
On September 23, beta players wrote that stance conditions work on Warriors and Druids.
Everything else here is standard WoW syntax that Blizzard has not confirmed for Forever.
Starter macros for every class
These five templates work the same way for any class.
Replace Spell with the exact name in your spellbook.
Macros use the spell names of your game language.
| Macro | What it does |
|---|---|
| Casts one spell and shows its icon |
| Helps the friend under your cursor, otherwise your target |
| Same for enemies, for crowd control or interrupts |
| Turns on auto-attack, then uses a melee ability |
| Sends your pet, then casts (Hunter, Warlock) |
Leave the empty [] in place: it falls back to your current target.
Mage and Shaman have no class section here; use these templates for them.
Warrior: stances, Taunt and Sunder Armor
Blizzard's September 30 class deep dive changes several Warrior abilities used in macros.
Thunder Clap can now be used in Defensive Stance, and its cooldown rises to 6 seconds.
The new 16-point talent Vanguard lets you use Charge in Defensive Stance.
Tactical Mastery is learned at level 14 and keeps 10 Rage when you change stances.
Our reading: tanks need fewer stance-swap macros for Thunder Clap and Charge.
A beta bug report of October 9 says Charge with Vanguard does not work inside macros.
It is one player report, with no Blizzard reply as of October 10.
Until that changes, keep Charge on its own button rather than in a macro.
| Macro | What it does | Forever status |
|---|---|---|
| One key swaps Battle and Defensive Stance | Stance condition: player report |
| Taunts the enemy under the cursor | Mouseover: player report |
| Auto-attack plus Sunder Armor | Standard syntax |
The stance macro uses [stance:1] for Battle Stance and [stance:2] for Defensive Stance.
The Taunt macro taunts the enemy under your cursor without changing target.
Hunter: Auto Shot, pet and traps
On September 30 Blizzard made Aimed Shot a baseline ability at level 20.
Multi-Shot now shares a cooldown with Aimed Shot, and Arcane Shot no longer does.
Traps can now be used in combat, but their cooldown rises to 30 seconds.
Frost and Fire traps now have separate cooldowns.
Traps are still placed only at your own position.
Our reading: Aimed Shot and Multi-Shot share a cooldown, so one Shift macro can hold both.
A second Shift macro can hold Freezing Trap and Immolation Trap.
| Macro | What it does | Forever status |
|---|---|---|
| Starts Auto Shot without toggling it off | Standard syntax |
| Sends the pet and marks the target | Standard syntax |
| Aimed Shot, or Multi-Shot with Shift | Standard syntaxuses the September 30 change |
| Freezing Trap, or Immolation Trap with Shift | Standard syntaxuses the September 30 change |
The ! keeps Auto Shot from switching off when you press the key again.
Priest: mouseover heals and Prayer of Healing
Mouseover healing lets you heal a party or raid frame without changing target.
If no friend is under the cursor, the empty [] falls back to your current target.
On September 30 Blizzard changed Prayer of Healing to heal the target's party and pets.
Before, it healed the Priest's own party.
Our reading: in a raid, a mouseover Prayer of Healing picks which group gets healed.
| Macro | What it does | Forever status |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Heal on mouseover, else your target | Mouseover: player report |
| Power Word: Shield the same way | Mouseover: player report |
| Heals the party of the friend under the cursor | Mouseover: player reportuses the September 30 change |
Fear Ward is now available to all Priests at level 20, regardless of race.
Druid: fewer /cancelform lines
On September 30 Blizzard let Druids do more without leaving a form.
All potions and almost all similar consumables work while shapeshifted and keep the form.
Racial abilities such as Shadowmeld and War Stomp now work while shapeshifted.
Barkskin can now be used while shapeshifted.
Nature's Grasp is baseline at level 10 and works while shapeshifted and indoors.
Faerie Fire works in Bear, Cat or Dire Bear Form at no cost, with a 6-second cooldown.
Most Engineering bombs still cannot be used while shapeshifted.
Our reading: macros for these no longer need a /cancelform line in front.
Healing spells are not on that list, so a heal macro still leaves the form first.
| Macro | What it does | Forever status |
|---|---|---|
| Leaves a form, then Rejuvenation on mouseover or target | Mouseover: player report |
| Faerie Fire from Bear or Cat Form, no /cancelform | Mouseover: player reportuses the September 30 change |
| Hibernate on the enemy under the cursor | Mouseover: player report |
Warlock: Banes replace two Curses
Blizzard's October 7 class deep dive turns Curse of Agony and Curse of Doom into Banes.
Wowhead's Forever data lists them as Bane of Agony and Bane of Doom.
Macros that still name Curse of Agony or Curse of Doom need the new names.
Only one Bane per Warlock can be active on a single target.
Curse of Shadows is removed, so delete any macro that casts it.
Curse of the Elements now applies to all magic damage.
Pets now scale from their summoner's stats.
Firestone and Spellstone now apply weapon imbues that stack with Wizard Oil.
| Macro | What it does | Forever status |
|---|---|---|
| Sends the pet, then Shadow Bolt | Standard syntax |
| Fear on the enemy under the cursor | Mouseover: player report |
| Bane of Agony on a second enemy without switching | Mouseover: player reportuses the October 7 change |
A known issue in the September 24 beta notes concerns Banes and Curses.
They may not track if you drop a target that has one and then target it again.
Paladin: mouseover heal and Hammer of Justice
The Paladin starters stay simple: a heal and a stun on the unit under your cursor.
The class deep dives we checked, of September 30 and October 7, do not cover Paladins.
Blizzard's September 24 beta notes added an Aura flyout for Paladins on gamepad bars.
If no unit is under the cursor, both macros use your current target.
| Macro | What it does | Forever status |
|---|---|---|
| Flash of Light on mouseover, else your target | Mouseover: player report |
| Hammer of Justice on the enemy under the cursor | Mouseover: player report |
Rogue: openers and Kick
In the first macro, both the /startattack and the /cast line carry [nostealth].
Each of those lines is skipped while you are stealthed, so the key then does nothing.
From Stealth, use the opener macro instead; we have not tested this in Forever.
The opener macro uses Cheap Shot from Stealth and Sinister Strike otherwise.
The Kick macro interrupts the enemy under your cursor without changing target.
| Macro | What it does | Forever status |
|---|---|---|
| Sinister Strike and auto-attack, only outside Stealth | Standard syntax |
| Cheap Shot in Stealth, else Sinister Strike | Standard syntax |
| Kick on the enemy under the cursor | Mouseover: player report |
Blizzard's October 7 deep dive says Sap no longer breaks Stealth.
Our reading: that changes how you use Sap, not these starter macros.
What we leave out
We do not publish one-button rotation macros or /castsequence chains.
The starter macros here save keys; they do not decide what to cast for you.
We also leave out macros that run scripts.
Support article 44199 says some custom scripts can cause the loss of gold or items.
Do not paste scripts from sources you do not know.
We do not cover macro features of mouse or keyboard software.
Sources and what we could not confirm
Rules: the Blizzard EULA, support articles 16491, 382409, 21759 and 44199.
Policy: the input broadcasting update of November 3, 2020.
Forever: the developer Q&A of September 17 and Blizzard's beta notes up to October 8.
Classes: the class deep dives of September 30 and October 7.
Spell names: Wowhead's Forever data in English, German and Korean, checked October 10.
Player reports from the beta forums are marked as such; we do not quote them.
Not confirmed: a Macros button in the Forever game menu.
Not confirmed: Forever macro slots and the character limit.
Not confirmed: whether modern macro limits apply and when the save problem is fixed.
We will update this page when Blizzard publishes anything new on macros.