Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Excel in Microsoft 365. If you are using an earlier version (Excel 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Excel, click here: Renaming a Macro.

Renaming a Macro

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated March 18, 2023)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Excel in Microsoft 365

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A macro is nothing more than a series of instructions you want the computer to execute. It is a program which is run in the context of the application you are using. As you create macros, you will probably come across a need to rename a few of the existing macros. To do this, follow these steps:

  1. Press Alt+F8 to display the Macro dialog box.
  2. From the list of macros displayed, select the one you want to rename.
  3. Click on Edit. The VBA Editor is displayed, with the code for the selected macro visible.
  4. At the top of the macro is the keyword "Sub" followed by the macro name, then a pair of parentheses.
  5. Change the macro name as desired, but leave "Sub" there, as well as the parentheses.
  6. Close the VBA Editor.

Remember that if you rename a macro, you may need to make other changes, as well. For instance, if you have the macro referenced (called) from a different macro, you'll need to change that other macro to reflect the name as you just changed it. If the macro is also referenced in toolbar buttons, you'll need to make changes in those to reflect the new name, as well.

Note:

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ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (12428) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Excel in Microsoft 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Renaming a Macro.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

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What is three less than 4?

2023-03-19 10:28:13

J. Woolley

Suppose you have Sub MyOldMacro() that you want to rename Sub MyNewMacro().
Replace the following statement
Sub MyOldMacro()
with this statement
Sub MyOldMacro(Optional Param as Byte)
then add these statements:

Sub MyNewMacro()
MyOldMacro
End Sub

Any code that references MyOldMacro will continue to run without change.
Notice a Macro is a Sub with no parameter (argument). When a parameter is added, it is no longer included in the list of Macros (Alt+F8). A Sub with or without a parameter is a procedure. A Function is also a procedure. It is unfortunate that procedures are often called macros because some procedures are not Macros.

2023-03-19 01:46:16

Alex Blakenburg

@Graham Russell - just keep in mind that if you are in a code module you can use Ctrl+H (replace) and if you tick the "Current Project" box it will allow you to apply the replace to ALL the code in that workbook.

2023-03-18 05:55:39

Graham Russell

Re-naming a macro.

I use macros that are called from several worksheets and re-naming the macro involved hours of tracking and testing.
To overcome this in other wordbooks I simply put a comment in the macro saying what it does.
To me the name is unimportant.

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