Working with the Macro Browser

Accessing the Macro Browser

You can access the Macro Browser whenever you edit a page, blog post or comment.

To access the Macro Browser:

1. Log in to Confluence, if you have not already done so.
2. Edit a page or blog post.
3. Click where you want to insert the macro.
4. Either choose Insert > Other Macros, or type '{' and choose Open Macro Browser.

Each macro is represented in the Macro Browser by its icon, its name and a brief description of its function.

Screenshot: Macro Browser

Finding a Macro

The Macro Browser provides two methods for finding a macro:

• Browsing by category
• Searching

You can also simply type '{' to see a list of suggested macros. For more details, see Using Autocomplete.

Browsing by Category

Each macro is assigned to one or more categories. Click a category name to see the macros in that category.

Screenshot: Macro Browser List Restricted by Category

Searching

Enter a word or words into the search field at the top of the Macro Browser. As you start typing, the macro list is filtered to show only those macros whose name or description matches the characters you have entered.

Screenshot: Macro Browser List Restricted by Word Search

Adding a Macro to a Page or Blog Post

When you choose a macro and add it to a page or blog post, you may need to configure the macro's parameters.

To choose and configure a macro:

1. Access the Macro Browser and browse to the required macro as described above, if you have not already done so.
2. Click the required macro to choose it. The Macro Browser window changes to the 'Edit Macro' mode with a preview pane on the left and parameter pane on the right.
3. If necessary, modify the macro's parameters in the parameter pane. Some parameters allow auto-completion.
4. Click Refresh to preview the effect of your changes to the macro's parameters.
   Any parameters marked by an asterisk (*) are mandatory and must be set before you can preview or insert the macro.
   
5. Click Insert to add the macro to the page or blog post.

Not all macros can be previewed in the Macro Browser. This is often the case with macros that require the page to be saved first to render correctly, such as the Table of Contents Macro, or macros that do not generate output, such as the Anchor Macro. Nevertheless, you can still use the Macro Browser to browse for these macros and set their specific parameters before inserting them into your page.

Editing a Macro

You can edit a macro that has already been added to a page or blog post, modifying the parameter data and previewing the changes.

To edit a macro:

1. Edit the page or blog post containing the macro you wish to edit.
2. Click on the macro placeholder and choose Edit.
3. Modify the macro's parameters in the parameter pane. Some parameters allow auto-completion.
4. Click Refresh to preview the effect of your changes to the macro's parameters.
   Any parameters marked by an asterisk (*) are mandatory and must be set before you can preview or insert the macro.
5. Click Save in the Macro Browser to save your changes.

To leave the Macro Browser at any time, click its Cancel button or simply press the 'ESC' key.

Screenshot: Editing an Existing Macro with the Macro Browser in 'Macro Preview' Mode

Macro Browser Smart Fields

If a macro's parameter requires the entry of a single username, space key or page title, the macro browser provides an 'auto-complete' feature to help you enter the correct value. Use the up- and down-arrows on your keyboard to move up and down the dropdown list of matching items and select the appropriate item. This feature functions similarly to the Quick Navigation Aid when searching Confluence pages.

Screenshot: Macro Browser Smart Fields

Macro Placeholders

When editing a page, you can:

• Double-click a macro placeholder to open the Macro Browser (or click on the placeholder and choose Edit), where you can edit the macro's parameters.
• Select a macro placeholder to cut, copy and paste the macro.

Related Topics

Working with Macros

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