Macros in Microsoft Excel are commonly used to automate certain processes. The macro is a series of actions that are performed on a spreadsheet, typically saving a large amount of time.

But macros can be used maliciously, and there is a risk to enabling macros on a spreadsheet that you have received from an unknown person. Due to this risk, Excel disables macros by default. But if you have a file with macros, and you trust the sender, or know the file to be safe, then you can continue below and see how to enable macros in Microsoft Excel.

How to Activate Macros in Excel

The steps in this article were performed in the Windows desktop version of Excel for Office 365. The first part of this article provides a quick overview of how to enable macros in Excel. For additional information on how to change how Excel handles macros in the future, including pictures, keep scrolling, or click here to jump to that part of the article.

When you open an Excel file with macros, you should see a notification above the spreadsheet that looks like the image below. Clicking that Enable Content button will let the macros run in the spreadsheet.

Alternatively, rather than clicking that button, you could click the File tab, then the Enable Content button in the Security Warning section and always enable content in this file.

Or, finally, you could select Advanced Options where you are given the choice to only allow the macros for this session.

If you want to change the macro settings in Excel for all future files, then you can do so with the following steps.

Full Guide – How to Enable Macros in Excel

Step 1: Open Microsoft Excel.

Step 2: Click the File tab at the top-left of the window.

Step 3: Choose Options at the bottom of the left column.

Step 4: Select Trust Center in the left column of the Excel Options window.

Step 5: Click the Trust Center Settings button.

Step 6: Choose the Macro Settings tab.

Step 7: Choose the desired macro setting option, then click the OK button.

The Macro setting options in Excel for Office 365 are:

• Disable all macros without notification – Excel simply blocks all macros without giving you the opportunity to choose whether to run them or not.
• Disable all macros with notification (this is probably your current setting if you’ve never changed it) – Blocks macros, but gives you the option to run them by showing a notification with an Enable Content button.
• Disable all macros except digitally signed macros – All macros are blocked, except those that have been created by a Microsoft trusted publisher
• Enable all macros (not recommended; potentially dangerous code could run) – Any macro in any spreadsheet will run. It’s probably best not to use this option as it could potentially harm both your Excel installation and, potentially, your entire computer.

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