What Is Support Macro?

Support macros are powerful productivity tools that go beyond simple canned responses. While a canned response only inserts pre-written text, a macro can perform multiple actions simultaneously — insert a reply, change the ticket status, add tags, assign to a specific team, set priority, and trigger follow-up workflows all in one click.

Macros are essential for standardizing workflows across a support team. When an agent identifies a ticket as a billing dispute, a single macro can apply the "billing" tag, set priority to high, assign to the billing team, insert the initial response template, and schedule a follow-up reminder. Without macros, agents would need to perform each of these steps manually, introducing inconsistency and wasting time.

The most effective support teams build macro libraries that reflect their actual workflows. Common macros include "Close as resolved" (sends satisfaction survey, marks resolved, updates status), "Escalate to engineering" (changes priority, assigns to eng team, adds internal note template), and "Request more information" (sends info request template, sets status to waiting).

Macro usage data provides valuable operational insights. High-usage macros indicate common workflows that might benefit from further automation. Low-usage macros may be outdated or poorly designed. Tracking which macros are used most by which agents can also identify training opportunities.