How to run an excelmacros.net macro
Every tool on this site is a small Excel macro file (.xlsm) you download, open, and run. This is the 30-second setup. Read it once, and from then on every tool here works the same way.
The 30-second setup
1. Download the .xlsm
On any tool page, click the blue Download button. You'll get a small file like RemoveDuplicatesMultiColumn.xlsm. Most macros are under 50 KB. Save it somewhere you'll remember (your Downloads folder is fine).
2. Open it in Excel
Double-click the file. Excel will open it in protected view with a yellow bar at the top. That bar is Excel doing its job, warning you that this file contains macros. Click Enable Editing, then Enable Macros on the prompts.
If you're a security-paranoid type (we approve), the VBA source for every tool is committed in our public repo as a .bas file next to the .xlsm. Open it in any text editor and read every line before you run anything. We don't hide what the macros do.
3. Run the macro
Each tool's page has a How to use section with the exact steps for that macro. The general pattern: paste your data into the workbook (or open a separate workbook with your data alongside it), select the relevant range, then trigger the macro from Alt + F8 (Windows) or Option + F8 (Mac). Pick the macro by name from the list, click Run, and follow any prompts.
Compatibility
- Excel for Windows: 2016 and newer. Tested on 365 and 2021. Older versions usually work.
- Excel for Mac: 2016 and newer. The Mac VBA runtime is slightly more limited than Windows, but our macros avoid Windows-only APIs (no ActiveX, no Shell, no FileSystemObject).
- Excel for the web: not supported. The web version doesn't run VBA at all.
- Excel for iOS / Android: not supported. Mobile apps can open the file but the macros won't run.
- LibreOffice / Google Sheets: not supported. They use a different macro engine (Basic / Apps Script).
What we don't do (the trust list)
Every macro on excelmacros.net is fully offline. Specifically:
- No API calls. Nothing in the macro talks to a server. Ever.
- No telemetry. The macro doesn't phone home, count runs, or report errors back to us.
- No background tasks. No Auto_Open, no Workbook_Open hooks, no scheduled triggers. The macro only runs when you click Run.
- No file system writes outside your sheet. The macro modifies the open workbook, nothing else.
- No external dependencies. No add-ins, no DLLs, no installs. The .xlsm is self-contained.
This is by design. We want these tools to be the kind of thing you can run on a corporate laptop without asking IT, and still feel good about it.
Common gotchas
The macro says "Can't run in protected view"
Click Enable Editingat the top of the file first. Excel won't run macros until you do.
The macro is missing from the Alt+F8 list
Two usual causes. First, you might be looking at the wrong workbook (each .xlsm has its own macros). Click into the macro workbook before pressing Alt+F8. Second, your security settings might be set to disable all macros without notification. In Excel, go to File → Options → Trust Center → Trust Center Settings → Macro Settings and pick Disable all macros with notification.
The macro errored mid-run
Read the error dialog (click No to any "debug?" prompt). Most errors mean the selection wasn't right, the column count didn't match, or the data had something unexpected like a merged cell. Click End, re-read the tool's How to use section, and try again on a smaller test selection.
The macro worked but the result looks wrong
Hit Ctrl/Cmd + Zto undo. Then click the 👎 button on the tool's page and describe what happened. We'll fix and re-ship. (Yes, we read every report.)
Frequently asked questions
Why do I see a yellow security warning when I open the file?
Excel flags any workbook that contains macros, even safe ones. That's the right default. Our macros are open source (the .bas file lives next to the .xlsm in our repo, so you can read every line before running). Click Enable Editing, then Enable Macros, and you're set.
Does the macro send my data anywhere?
No. Every macro on this site is fully offline. There are no API calls, no telemetry, no network code of any kind. The macro runs locally in your copy of Excel and the file never sees the internet. The website logs anonymous AI search queries (see the Privacy page), but that has nothing to do with the macros themselves.
What versions of Excel are supported?
Excel 2016 and newer on Windows and Mac. Older versions (2013, 2010) often work too, but we don't test against them. Excel for the web doesn't run VBA, so the macros won't work in a browser. You need the desktop app.
The macro errored. What do I do?
First, click No to any error dialog and read the message. Most errors mean the selection wasn't right (no data, wrong column count, header missing). Re-read the macro's How to use section and try again. If it still fails, click the 👎 button on the tool page and describe what happened. We read every report.
Can I open the .xlsm on my phone?
Excel for iOS and Android won't run macros. The mobile apps can open the file, but the macro buttons are inert. If you need to run a tool, do it on a desktop or laptop.
My company's IT blocks all macros. Now what?
Some companies disable macros entirely. If yours does, the .xlsm files are dead weight. You have two options: ask IT to whitelist files signed by a trusted publisher (we don't sign yet, so this won't help), or copy the VBA from the .bas file in our repo and paste it into a workbook your IT lets you save with macros.
That's it. Head back to the catalog and grab whatever you need.