Submit a request

How can we help?

Articles in this section

How to use Macros

Updated

A macro is a prepared response an agent applies to a ticket, so common questions don’t need a fresh answer written every time.

On this page:

How macros work

Macros are templates agents build once and apply to tickets for consistent answers to frequently asked questions. Once applied, the agent can edit the content before submitting, so a macro is a starting point rather than a locked response. Multiple macros can be applied to a single ticket.

  • Macros can be applied in bulk from the Tickets list view: check the tickets, click Apply Macro, choose the macro and whether it’s a Public Reply or Internal Note, optionally edit the subject line, then Submit. Updating the status is optional, not required. Submit alone leaves status unchanged, or the dropdown beside it offers Submit as Open, Pending, On Hold, or Solved. Editing the comment content during a bulk apply only affects that batch; it doesn’t save back to the macro itself.
  • Macros cannot be applied to Closed tickets.
  • Macros are active by default and can be set inactive to retire them without deleting.
  • Deleted macros cannot be restored from the recycle bin.

Personal and shared macros

Personal macros are built by an individual agent for their own use and live in their User Settings. Admins can view other users’ personal macros under System Settings > Shared Macros, via the Settings dropdown.

Actions a macro can set

  • Add Tags
  • Delete Tag
  • Add BCC
  • Add CC
  • Contact
  • Owner
  • Priority
  • Status
  • Source
  • Subject
  • Type
  • Internal Note
  • Public Reply

Finding the right macro

Two list view filters are available, Active Macros and Inactive Macros, with these columns:

  • Macro Name – hyperlinked to the macro’s edit page.
  • Category – assigned at creation or edit; used to group macros so agents can find the right one.
  • Available For – which users have permission to use it.
  • Usage (Last 7 Days) – how many times it’s been used in the past week.
  • Three dots menu – edit or delete.

Creating a personal macro

  1. Go to User Settings > Personal Macros.
  2. Click Add Macro.
  3. Enter the macro details, assign a category, and define the actions it should apply. Under a Public Reply or Internal Note action, click Insert Field to add merge tags (placeholder fields like {{ticket.agent.first_name}}) that populate automatically when the macro is used.
  4. Save.
Macro Action with Dynamic Agent Name Variable — This screenshot shows a macro action configured in Insightly CRM with a “Public Reply” field set to Rich Text, containing a message template that uses the dynamic variable {{ticket.agent.first_name}} to automatically insert the agent’s name. This would help support article readers understand how to use liquid variables inside macro reply templates to personalize automated responses.

Shared macros follow the same process from System Settings, with the addition of setting which users can access them.

Applying a macro to a ticket

Open the ticket, then click the lightning bolt icon either in the sidebar to the right of the text editor or below the text editor itself. This opens the Apply Macro sidebar, where a search bar finds a specific macro by name. Below the search bar, Suggested Macros lists your 3 most recently used macros, followed by your 3 most popular macros from the last 30 days that aren’t already in that first group.

Macro Application Button in Ticket Editor — This screenshot shows the ticket comment editor toolbar with a lightning bolt icon highlighted, which opens the Apply Macro sidebar for searching and applying a macro to the current ticket.

1 Macro Application Button in Ticket Editor

 Searching for Macros in Insightly CRM — The image shows the “Apply Macro” panel open in Insightly, where a user has typed “How” into the search box, revealing six suggested macros such as “How to add a new user” and “How to use Macros.” This demonstrates how the macro search feature filters and suggests relevant macros in real time, helping users quickly apply pre-built responses or actions to a support ticket.

2 Searching for Macros in Insightly CRM

Related to

Related articles

Powered by Zendesk