Text macros: type less, say more

What the tour covers, step by step

Type /price and watch it expand into your full message, right inside WhatsApp's message box.

1. 01

   The master switch

   Macros only expand in WhatsApp while this switch is on. If a trigger ever 'does nothing', check here first. Turning it off pauses every macro without deleting anything.

   Read the narration

   Text macros are typing shortcuts: you type a short trigger like slash price, and it turns into your full sentence as you type in WhatsApp. Before anything else, this switch. Macros only expand while the master switch is on — if a trigger ever seems to do nothing, this is the first thing to check. Turning it off pauses every macro at once without deleting anything, handy when a colleague borrows your computer. I'll switch it on now.

2. 02

   Trigger → replacement

   A trigger is the short thing you type — start it with a symbol like / so it never appears in normal words. The replacement is the full text. Press Add.

   Read the narration

   Adding one is two boxes. The trigger is the short thing you'll type — slash price. Start triggers with a symbol like a slash so they can never appear by accident inside a normal word. The replacement is the full text: 'Our cakes start at forty-five, bread at twelve, full list at this link'. Press Add. A trigger can't be used twice; the page tells you if it already exists.

3. 03

   Your macros

   Each row shows the trigger in a small box and its replacement. Pencil edits in place, bin deletes. The search box filters by trigger or text.

   Read the narration

   The new macro joins the list. Each row shows the trigger in a small grey box and the replacement beside it. The pencil edits both in place, the bin deletes after asking, and with a long list the search box filters by trigger or by any word in the text. Good starter macros: a greeting, your opening hours, how to pay, your address, and your price list.

4. 04

   Try it before you rely on it

   Type into the Try it box and the Output shows what WhatsApp would receive — a safe way to check a macro without messaging anyone.

   Read the narration

   Before you use a macro in a real chat, test it in the Try it box. Type the trigger — here slash greet — and the Output underneath shows exactly what would appear. Nothing is sent; it's just a preview. If the output looks wrong, fix the macro in the list and try again.

5. 05

   In WhatsApp: type the trigger, then a space

   In WhatsApp's message box, type /price and then a space, a comma, a full stop or Enter. The trigger is replaced with the full text in place — you can keep editing before you send.

   Read the narration

   Now the real thing, in WhatsApp Web. Watch the message box: I type slash price, then a space — and the trigger is replaced with the full sentence, right there in the box. Nothing is sent yet; it's just text in the composer, so you can add the customer's name or change a word before pressing Enter. The space is the signal. A comma, a full stop, or pressing Enter work too — that's how InboxCRM knows you've finished the trigger and didn't mean to type a longer word.

6. 06

   The small rules

   Longer triggers win over shorter ones (/greetfull beats /greet). Macros never fire in WhatsApp's search box, only in the message box. One expansion per keystroke.

   Read the narration

   A few small rules so nothing surprises you. If one trigger starts with another — say slash greet and slash greet-full — the longer one wins, so both can exist. Macros only work in the message box, never in WhatsApp's search or in other websites. And only one macro expands per keystroke, so triggers can't cascade into each other. If a macro isn't expanding, remember the two usual causes: the master switch is off, or you haven't typed the space yet.

7. 07

   Import and export

   Export saves all macros as a JSON file (extino-macros-YYYY-MM-DD.json). Import merges a file back in — share a set with a colleague or move to a new computer.

   Read the narration

   Back on the page: Import and Export at the top. Export downloads all your macros as a small JSON file. Import merges one back in — if a trigger already exists, the imported version wins. That's how you share a standard set of answers with a colleague, or move to a new computer without retyping anything.

8. 08

   Make your first three

   Open the real Text macros page, switch it on, and add three macros: a greeting, your hours, and how to pay. Then type one in a chat with yourself.

   Read the narration

   That's text macros. Open the real page, switch it on, and add three: a greeting, your opening hours, and how to pay. Then open a chat with yourself in WhatsApp, type a trigger and a space, and enjoy the moment. Next up: pinned chats.