Excel: Using Macros to Automate Repetitive Tasks and Processes

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Do you find yourself repeatedly performing the same actions or tasks in your spreadsheets? Do you have a time-consuming Excel-based process that you would like to automate? Do you want to control how Excel behaves when a file is opened, closed, saved, or printed?

If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, it's time to learn how to create macros in Excel. Macros allow you to automate repetitive tasks and processes, helping you work more efficiently and freeing up time for higher-value activities.

In this practical webinar, you will learn how to create and edit macros, build macros that can be reused across multiple workbooks, and develop macros that run automatically in response to specific events, such as opening or closing a file. Whether you're new to Excel automation or looking to expand your Excel skill set, this session will provide a solid foundation for working with macros.

Your Benefits For Attending:
  • Using the Macro Recorder to create a macro
  • Saving a file as a macro-enabled Excel workbook
  • Running a macro
  • Creating a button to run a macro
  • Editing a macro
  • Using the Personal Macro Workbook to make macros available across all files
  • Creating a macro that runs automatically when a file is opened

Learning how to create and edit macros is one of the most valuable skills for Excel power users. By automating repetitive Excel-based tasks and processes, you can save significant time for yourself, your colleagues, and your customers while improving efficiency and consistency across your work.

Who Should Attend
This webinar is designed for intermediate-to-advanced Excel users who are ready to get started with macros. The content is relevant across all industries and job functions where Excel is used to manage data, reporting, or business processes.

The training will be delivered using the latest version of Excel for Windows, although much of the functionality demonstrated is also available in earlier versions of the application.

Level: Basic
Format: Live Webcast
Instructional Method: QAS Self-Study (Traditional)
NASBA Field of Study: Computer Software & App (2 hours)
Program Prerequisites: None
Advance Preparation: No
  1. Introduction
  2. Each Month 00:02:05
  3. Macro Recorder 00:03:39
  4. VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) 00:04:48
  5. Agenda 00:06:54
  6. 01-17 .CSV 00:11:59
  7. Sales.xlsm 00:12:47
  8. Dashboards.xlsx 00:40:36
  9. How to Create a Button on to the Spreadsheet 00:47:46
  10. Assigning a Keyboard Shortcut 00:53:40
  11. Renaming the Macro 01:01:26
  12. Understanding VBA 01:04:13
  13. PDF Handout 01:12:56
  14. How to Change the Code in VBA 01:15:09
  15. Writing Codes 01:23:57
  16. The Personal Macro Workbook 01:24:47
  17. Presenter Closing/Attendee Questions 01:37:54
  18. Presentation Closing 01:44:43
  • Mike Thomas

    Mike Thomas

    Mike Thomas has worked in the IT training business for 26 years. His expertise and experience covers designing and delivering training courses, creating written training materials (Quick Reference Guides and step-by-step tutorials), recording and editing video-based tutorials and providing support t [...]

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You must answer all questions during the webinar, view the recording completely and pass the test at the end with 70% correct answers to receive CPE credit.

  • .XLSM 00:12:52, 01:25:43
  • .XLSX 00:45:06
  • Cell 00:30:52
  • CSV 00:13:51
  • Customize Ribbon 00:19:03
  • Developer Menu 00:18:46, 00:23:56
  • Keyboard Shortcut 00:29:20, 00:53:40
  • Macro 00:02:03, 00:17:20, 00:22:57, 00:43:14
  • Macro Recorder 00:03:47, 00:13:34
  • Pivot Table 00:42:55
  • Text to Columns Wizard 00:42:26
  • VBA 00:04:49, 00:15:05, 00:57:21, 01:04:13
  • Workbook 00:29:42

.CSV: Comma-Separated Value files are text files where each field of data is separated by a comma. This is an effective means to export data from QuickBooks that you, in turn, wish to analyze in Excel.

.XLSM : The .XLSM file extension signifies a Macro-Enabled Excel Workbook. Such workbooks may contain programming code that can automate repetitive tasks in Excel. If prompted, do not enable macros in .XLSM workbooks of unknown provenance because viruses and malware are sometimes transmitted by tricking users into opening such workbooks.

.XLSX: A file with the. xlsx file extension is a Microsoft Excel Open XML Spreadsheet (XLSX) file created by Microsoft Excel. You can also open this format in other spreadsheet apps, such as Apple Numbers, Google Docs, and OpenOffice.

Cell: In spreadsheet applications, a cell is a box in which you can enter a single piece of data. The data is usually text, a numeric value, or a formula. The entire spreadsheet is composed of rows and columns of cells.

Customize Ribbon: The ribbon in the Microsoft Office programs can be customized to meet individual needs. It ispossible to create custom tabs and custom groups that contain frequently used commands.

Developer menu: Turn on the Developer tab in Excel if you want to create a macro, export and import XML files or insert controls.

Keyboard Shortcut: A keyboard shortcut is a series of one or several keys that invoke a software program to perform a preprogrammed action. This action may be part of the standard functionality of the operating system or application program, or it may have been written by the user in a scripting language.

Macro: One or more lines of programming code that automate tasks. The Macro Recorder allows users to automate tasks without seeing the underlying programming code.

Macro Recorder: A feature in Excel that allows you to transcribe actions you take in Excel into programming code.

Pivot Table: A report creation tool in Excel that enables you to quickly summarize lists of data into summary reports by clicking checkboxes and dragging fields onscreen.

Text to Columns Wizard: An Excel feature which allows users to separate data from a single column within an Excel spreadsheet into two or more columns, or to remove unnecessary data from within a column.

VBA - Visual Basic for Applications : Visual Basic for Applications is a computer programming language developed and owned by Microsoft. With VBA you can create macros to automate repetitive word- and data-processing functions, and generate custom forms, graphs, and reports. VBA functions within MS Office applications; it is not a stand-alone product.

Workbook: In Microsoft Excel a workbook is a collection of one or more spreadsheets, also called worksheets, in a single file.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Adding a clickable button to a worksheet is a user-friendly way to trigger a macro without requiring anyone to navigate the Developer tab or know keyboard shortcuts. There are two main approaches. The first uses a shape: insert any shape (Insert > Shapes), right-click it, choose Assign Macro, and select the macro to run—the shape acts as a button when clicked. Format it with a descriptive label and appropriate color. The second uses a Form Control Button: with the Developer tab visible, click Insert > Form Controls > Button (the rectangle icon), draw it on the worksheet, and the Assign Macro dialog appears immediately. Form Control buttons have a more classic button appearance and are specifically designed for macro triggering. Both approaches work without VBA knowledge. You can also add macros to the Quick Access Toolbar (QAT) via File > Options > Quick Access Toolbar > Macros for workbook-level buttons visible at all times. Keyboard shortcuts assigned during macro recording (Alt+F8 > Options) provide a third method. Mike Thomas covers button creation as part of making macros accessible to all users in Aurora Training Advantage's Excel: Using Macros to Automate Repetitive Tasks and Processes webinar.
The Personal Macro Workbook (PERSONAL.XLSB) is a special hidden workbook that opens automatically every time Excel starts, making any macros stored within it available in any Excel workbook you open. By default, this file does not exist—it is created the first time you record a macro and choose Personal Macro Workbook in the Store macro in dropdown of the Record Macro dialog. Once created, it lives in your user profile's XLSTART folder. Macros stored here appear in the Macro list (Alt+F8) alongside workbook-specific macros and can be assigned to buttons or keyboard shortcuts that work across all files. This is ideal for personal productivity macros—formatting cleanup routines, custom sorting procedures, or repetitive report preparation steps—that you want available at all times regardless of which workbook is open. To edit macros in PERSONAL.XLSB, unhide it (View > Unhide) to access it directly in the VBA Editor. Distributing Personal Macro Workbook macros to colleagues requires sharing the PERSONAL.XLSB file separately from regular workbooks. Mike Thomas covers the Personal Macro Workbook in Aurora Training Advantage's Excel: Using Macros to Automate Repetitive Tasks and Processes webinar.
The VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) Editor is where Excel macro code lives and can be modified. Access it via Developer > Visual Basic or Alt+F11. The Project Explorer on the left shows all open workbooks and their modules; macros recorded in a workbook appear in a Module (e.g., Module1) under that workbook. Double-click the module to view and edit the code. Recorded macros consist of statements like Range("A1").Select and Selection.Copy—each line corresponds to one action you performed during recording. Common edits include changing hardcoded cell references to variables, adding loops to process multiple rows, modifying formatting values (like font size numbers), or removing unnecessary Select statements that slow execution. The VBA Editor provides syntax highlighting, IntelliSense (auto-complete for object properties and methods), and the ability to step through code line-by-line using F8 for debugging. Even without deep VBA knowledge, many useful edits—changing a cell reference, adjusting a font color code, modifying a file path—can be made by reading the recorded code and making targeted changes. Mike Thomas introduces VBA editing in Aurora Training Advantage's Excel: Using Macros to Automate Repetitive Tasks and Processes webinar.
Event macros in Excel VBA run automatically in response to specific Excel events—opening a file, closing it, saving, printing, or changing a cell value—without requiring a button click or keyboard shortcut. These are called event procedures and live in the ThisWorkbook module (not a standard Module). To create an Open event macro, press Alt+F11 to open the VBA Editor, double-click ThisWorkbook in the Project Explorer, select Workbook from the Object dropdown, and select Open from the Procedure dropdown. The Workbook_Open() sub procedure appears—code placed inside it runs automatically every time the workbook opens. Common uses include displaying a welcome message, refreshing data connections, checking for updated data, or setting specific print settings. Workbook_BeforeClose runs before closing (useful for confirmation prompts or saving routines). Workbook_BeforeSave runs before each save. For sheet-level events, the worksheet's code module (double-click the sheet in Project Explorer) provides Worksheet_Change and Worksheet_Activate events. Mike Thomas covers event macros in Aurora Training Advantage's Excel: Using Macros to Automate Repetitive Tasks and Processes webinar.
The Developer tab in Excel provides access to the Macro Recorder, VBA Editor, Form Controls, ActiveX Controls, and add-in management—all essential for macro work. By default, the Developer tab is hidden. To enable it, go to File > Options > Customize Ribbon, and in the right panel (Main Tabs), check the box next to Developer and click OK. The Developer tab now appears in the Ribbon with groups for Code (Record Macro, Macros, Visual Basic), Add-Ins, Controls, and XML. Record Macro starts capturing your actions; Stop Recording ends the recording. The Macros button (Alt+F8) opens the Macro dialog where you can run, edit, step through, or delete macros. Visual Basic (Alt+F11) opens the full VBA Editor. Developer > Insert provides Form Controls (for buttons, checkboxes, dropdowns) and ActiveX Controls (more powerful, code-driven). Macro security settings (Developer > Macro Security) control which macros are allowed to run—important for organizational security policies. Mike Thomas covers enabling and using the Developer tab in Aurora Training Advantage's Excel: Using Macros to Automate Repetitive Tasks and Processes webinar.