WoW keybinding & macro addons
If you want to improve your skill in WoW, it’s important to use keybindings for your spells, abilities and items instead of clicking them on your action bars. Keybindings are simply faster and more accurate. Here are some keybinding and macro addons you can get for WoW, and some of the advantages of each one.
BindPad
BindPad is a keybinding addon to consider. With BindPad, you won’t have to use action bar slots to make key bindings for your macros (or spells, items, etc). It gives you addon slots within its very own frame allowing you to put any macro (or any bind you want, really) into these slots for easy use. So, if you’re running out of space on your action bars, BindPad’s definitely the way to go.
BindPad is available for WoW The War Within (also known as Retail). Learn more about BindPad on CurseForge.
Macro Toolkit addon
Macro Toolkit addon has several features for its users. For example, you can shorten your macros, as well as use extended macros, a condition builder, and syntax highlighting/checking. One feature is the ability to bind a macro straight to a key on your keyboard or keypad, without having to first put it on an action bar, so if you’re short on space on your action bar, this is a great tool. The addon also contains drag-and-drop premade script-functions, which you can place into any macro as well, so making a macros should be easier for you.
Macro Toolkit is available for WoW The War Within (also known as Retail), Mists of Pandaria Classic and WoW Classic (1-60). Learn more on the Macro Toolkit page on CurseForge.
If you want to create some basic macros on your own, read on to learn how to get started. It’s easier than you think.
How to create macros manually: Beginner’s guide
If you’ve never created macros before, here’s how to get started.
- Start by typing /macro in the chat window followed by enter.
- Then click New to make a new macro.
- Give the macro any name and icon then click Okay.
- In the window with the text “Enter Macro Commands:” above it, type or paste the macro code, then click Save.
- You can then drag the macro to one of your action bars.
- Once the macro is on one of your action bars, you can also assign a keybind to it from Options -> Keybindings if you want to.
Useful macros
Here are some useful macros that you can copy/paste to get you started.
Open /guild chat
This macro will open the chat window with the guild chat pre-selected.
/run ChatFrame_OpenChat("/g ")
Open /instance chat
This macro will open the chat window with the instance chat pre-selected.
/run ChatFrame_OpenChat("/i ")
Open /party chat
This macro will open the chat window with the party chat pre-selected.
/run ChatFrame_OpenChat("/p ")
Open /say chat
This macro will open the chat window with the /say chat pre-selected, i.e. talking to players around you in “white text”.
/run ChatFrame_OpenChat("/s ")
Open /raid warning chat
This macro will open the chat window with the raid warning chat pre-selected.
/run ChatFrame_OpenChat("/rw ")
Open /trade chat (chat channel 2)
This macro will open the chat window with the trade channel chat pre-selected.
/run ChatFrame_OpenChat("/2 ")
Cast Flare (or targeted abilities) where you stand [@player]
This macro will immediately cast Flare where you stand, without needing to target and click to confirm the location. Useful when you think there’s a stealthed enemy nearby.
/cast [@player] Flare
Of course, this can also be adapted to other targeted spells and abilities that you want to cast where you stand, for example hunter traps. Just change Flare to the name of another targeted ability, such as Freezing Trap.
For example:
/cast [@player] Freezing Trap
The above macro will immediately put down a Freezing Trap where you stand.
Cast Flare or targeted abilities at your cursor’s location [@cursor]
If you want to immediately cast a targeted ability like Flare (a Hunter ability) at your cursor, without having to click to confirm the location, use the following macro:
/cast [@cursor] Flare
Of course, this also works with other abilities such as Freezing Trap etc. Just replace ‘Flare’ with the name of the appropriate ability.
Use an ability without disrupting your current channeling [nochanneling]
Sometimes you’re channeling an ability, for example Rapid Fire (a Hunter ability) and you want to use another ability, for example Kill Shot, but you don’t want the Kill Shot to interrupt Rapid Fire. In that case, you can use the following macro:
/cast [nochanneling] Kill Shot
This will cast Kill Shot, but not if you’re channeling anything. That means that you can “spam” this macro (press it repeatedly) and it will go off right after the channeling completed.
Of course, it can also be used with other abilities.
Mage macros
These mage macros can also be adapted to other classes by replacing the mage abilities with names of other abilities.
Spammable Arcane Missiles
#showtooltip Arcane Missiles
/cast [nochanneling] Arcane Missiles
The above macro allows you to press or click Arcane Missiles repeatedly without interrupting the current channeling of Arcane Missiles or any other ability (sometimes called “spamming” an ability). This is good if you want to cast a channeled ability multiple times in a row without interrupting any channeling.
Cast Ray of Frost with Icy Veins
#showtooltip Ray of Frost
/cast icy veins
/cast [nochanneling] Ray of Frost
The macro above will cast icy veins and then Ray of Frost, and even if you happen to click/press the macro more than once it won’t interrupt the channeling of Ray of Frost.
Cast Combustion, Phoenix Flames and Fire Blast with one button
#showtooltip phoenix flames
/cast combustion
/cast Phoenix Flames
/cast Fire Blast
Phoenix Flames, Combustion and Fire Blast can all be cast with one single button, because both Combustion and Fire Blast can be cast at any time without interfering with other abilities. This macro makes it convenient to cast them with one button.
Stop any other casting and cast Ice Block
/stopcasting
/cast Ice Block
The above macro will stop any other spell you’re casting and immediately cast Ice Block. This is good for emergency spells such as ice block, that you want to use without delay.
Cast Flamestrike at cursor [@cursor]
#showtooltip flamestrike
/cast combustion
/cast [@cursor] flamestrike
This macro will cast Flamestrike at the location of your cursor, which makes it faster and easier to cast, and also add in combustion to boot. You can replace Flamestrike with other abilities, such as Frozen Orb (if you have the Concentrated Coolness PVP talent) or Meteor.
Stop other spells and cast Counterspell
/stopcasting
/cast Counterspell
Counterspell is one of those spells that you typically want to cast immediately, in the short time frame that you can interrupt an enemy’s casting. You can use this macro that includes the /stopcasting command so you stop casting other spells and cast Counterspell right away.
Cast frostbolt and then icy veins without interrupting any channeling
#showtooltip frostbolt
/cast [nochanneling] frostbolt
/cast [nochanneling] icy veins
This macro is good if you want to immediately cast frostbolt (or another ability) after a channeled spell, such as Ray of Frost, without interrupting the channeling. This macro will also add icy veins after the first frostbolt has been cast. This ensures that you’re already within range of casting frostbolt and have already started casting, so you don’t accidentally waste icy veins while being out of range for example.