Assigning a Macro to a Shortcut Key

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated August 3, 2023)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Word in Microsoft 365

Word allows you to assign macros or commands to specific key combinations. These key combinations are referred to as shortcut keys, and when used they result in the macro or command being executed. When you first create a macro by recording it, Word gives you the opportunity to assign the macro to a specific key combination. If you later want to change the key combination, you can follow these steps:

Display the Word Options dialog box. (In Word 2007 click the Office button and then click Word Options. In Word 2010 or a later version, display the File tab of the ribbon and then click Options.)
At the left side of the dialog box, click Customize (Word 2007) or Customize Ribbon (Word 2010 or later).
Near the bottom of the dialog box, click the Customize button. Word displays the Customize Keyboard dialog box. (See Figure 1.)

Figure 1. The Customize Keyboard dialog box.

Scroll through the Categories list and select the Macros category. The list at the right side of the dialog box changes to show the currently available macros.
In the Macros list, select the macro you want assigned to the shortcut key.
With the insertion point in the Press New Shortcut Key box, press the shortcut key you want to use. For instance, if you want to use Ctrl+Alt+J, press that.
Just below the Current Keys box you can see whether the shortcut key is already assigned to a different function.
Click on Assign.
Repeat steps 5 through 8 for each change you want to make.
Click on Close.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (8058) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Word in Microsoft 365.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. Learn more about Allen...

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What is 2 + 2?

2024-08-08 11:54:54

Timothy J. McGowan

@Rachel:

You can make all your shortcuts two-keyers. (I'm obviously lacking the technical term.)

For example, in default installations of Word, you can press Ctrl+/ and then C to insert a ¢ symbol.

We can do the same thing ourselves. For your XRHand macro, you could assign it Ctrl+Shift+X,H. You could assign your XRChest macro Ctrl+Shift+X,C.

You can use any combination of Ctrl or Alt, with or without Shift, or all three, plus a key for the first stroke. The second stroke cannot accept Ctrl or Alt but it can accept a Shift key to double your options.

The characters on the Number Pad are not the same as their counterparts on the main keyboard, so Ctrl+NumPad5 is not the same as Ctrl+5 and Alt+NumPad* is not the same as Alt+*.

Options for the first stroke: Alt+key, Ctrl+key, Alt+Ctrl+key, Shift+Alt+key, Shift+Ctrl+key, or Shift+Alt+Ctrl+key. (The Windows key is not an option.)

Options for the second stroke: key, Shift+key.

Remember that you're not tied to printable characters; you can also use the direction keys; Insert, Home, etc.; Backspace and Enter; and the F keys.

You can use the Print Screen, Scroll Lock, and Pause/Break keys as well, but I'd avoid them, as they can sometimes have systemwide effects and they don't always accept all combinations of Ctrl, Alt, and Shift.

Obviously, Ctrl+Alt+Delete isn't available. Assign macros to common shortcuts, such as Ctrl+P or Ctrl+C, at your own risk.

2024-07-26 17:32:02

Rebecca

I have more macros than available shortcut keys (hundreds of them!) - is there a way to assign them differently ie I want to populate a chest x-ray macro can I assign as XRCHEST or a hand x-ray as XRHAND etc?

2024-02-17 08:47:46

Lenny

I appreciate your articles!

2023-11-05 22:19:13

Lenny

Thanks!
Great info (as always!)
Lenny

2020-11-24 23:30:01

Mario

Re Items 1. to 3.:
In Word365 for Mac delete all and replace with:
Go to Tools/Customize Keyboard

2020-02-16 20:33:02

mauro

In the categories list, why do you think the Micro$oft programmers included hundreds of categories in random order, rather than say alphabetical order which might make them easier to find?

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