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Building a Macro for agent productivity

Building a macro is a wizard-driven workflow inside the Service Console. Pick the record type, define the instruction sequence, organize into a folder, share with the team.

By Dipojjal Chakrabarti · Founder & Editor, Salesforce DictionaryLast updated May 16, 2026

Building a macro is a wizard-driven workflow inside the Service Console. Pick the record type, define the instruction sequence, organize into a folder, share with the team.

  1. Open the Macros widget in the Service Console

    Service Console, Utility Bar, click the Macros icon. The widget shows the existing macros library. Click New Macro to open the builder.

  2. Pick the record type and folder

    The first screen asks which record type the macro applies to (Case, Lead, custom object). Pick a folder for organization. Folder choice drives sharing permissions.

  3. Add instructions

    Click Add Instruction. Pick the instruction type: Update Record Field, Apply Knowledge Article, Insert Quick Text, Send Email, Submit Quick Action. Configure each step with the specific field, article ID, or template.

  4. Set the macro to Bulk if applicable

    For macros that run against multiple selected records, toggle Bulk Macro on. Bulk macros skip interactive prompts and only support non-blocking instructions.

  5. Test against a sample record

    Open a test case, run the macro, confirm the actions execute as expected. The Macro Builder also has a Test feature that simulates the run against a sample record.

  6. Share the folder with the team

    Open the folder settings, share with the appropriate public group or role. Grant Run-Only access to most agents and Manage access to senior agents who build macros.

  7. Pin frequently used macros

    Agents pin their most-used macros to the top of the widget. Admins can pre-pin team-favorites through the Macro Builder.

Macro Namerequired

Display name shown in the Macros widget. Should describe the action plainly (Reset Password, Refund Standard, Tier 2 Escalation).

Folderrequired

Organization unit that controls sharing. New folders should be created with intentional sharing settings.

Record Typerequired

The sObject the macro applies to. Case is the most common; Lead, Contact, and custom objects are also supported.

Instructionsrequired

The ordered sequence of steps the macro runs. At least one instruction is required.

Bulk Macro togglerequired

Optional flag. When on, the macro runs silently across selected records and only supports non-interactive instructions.

Gotchas
  • Bulk Macros only support non-interactive instructions. Insert Quick Text, Send Email, and any instruction that prompts for input are blocked in Bulk mode.
  • Macros fail on the first error and stop. A macro that updates five fields will partially update if field three fails validation. Plan for atomicity if needed.
  • Macros require the Run Macros user permission. Without it, agents see the widget but cannot execute. Default Service Cloud permission sets grant this; custom profiles may not.
  • Knowledge Article apply instructions require the article to be Published in the right channel. Apply on a Draft article fails silently in some macro versions.
  • Macros do not respect Validation Rules in all cases. A macro update that bypasses a validation rule (because the field is set in the wrong order) leaves data in an unexpected state. Test against the full case lifecycle.

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