Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365. If you are using an earlier version (Word 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Word, click here: Changing a Macro Description.

Changing a Macro Description

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated April 22, 2023)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365

When you record a macro, you have an opportunity to enter a description for the macro. This can be helpful, as the description is a great memory-jogger to remind you why you wrote a particular macro or how to use it.

At some point after your macro is finished, you may want to change the description associated with a macro. To do this, follow these steps:

Press Alt+F8. Word displays the Macros dialog box.
In the list of macros, select the macro whose description you want to change. At the bottom of the Macros dialog box you should see the current description for the selected macro.
Replace the current description with the new description.
Repeat steps 2 and 3 for any other macros whose descriptions you want to change.
Click on Cancel to close the Macros dialog box.

Note:

If you would like to know how to use the macros described on this page (or on any other page on the WordTips sites), I've prepared a special page that includes helpful information. Click here to open that special page in a new browser tab.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (11240) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Changing a Macro Description.

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...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Periodically Delete TMP Files

After using Word for a while, you may notice some "litter" of unused files on your hard drive. This tip explains how ...

Discover More

Running a Macro when a Workbook is Closed

One of the automatic macros you can set up in Excel is one that is triggered when a workbook is closed. This tip explains ...

Discover More

Counting with Two Criteria

When you use Excel as a simple database program to store individual records, you may have a need to count the records ...

Discover More

Do More in Less Time! An easy-to-understand guide to the more advanced features available in the Microsoft 365 version of Word. Enhance the quality of your documents and boost productivity in any field with this in-depth resource. Complete your Word-related tasks more efficiently as you unlock lesser-known tools and learn to quickly access the features you need. Check out Microsoft 365 Word For Professionals For Dummies today!

More WordTips (ribbon)

Determining the Number of Paragraphs in a Document

When using a macro to process a document in some way, you often need to know the number of paragraphs in the document. ...

Discover More

Printing a Macro List

Need a list of all the macros you've created? Word doesn't provide a way to create such a list, but you can use the ...

Discover More

Counting Words the Old Fashioned Way

One way to specify word count is to count characters and divide by five. If you still need this old-fashioned way of ...

Discover More

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

Notify me about new comments ONLY FOR THIS TIP

Notify me about new comments ANYWHERE ON THIS SITE

Hide my email address

What is 3 + 7?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)

This Site

Got a version of Word that uses the ribbon interface (Word 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the menu interface.