Getting started

MacroKey is a keyboard and mouse automation utility for Windows. You build macros — ordered sequences of key presses, mouse actions and delays — and assign each one a global hotkey. Press the hotkey anywhere in Windows and MacroKey replays the sequence.

MacroKey is designed to stay out of your way. It runs from the system tray, starts with Windows if you want it to, and keeps your macros live even when no window is open.

Install & first run

1. Download MacroKey-Portable.exe from the download page.
2. Double-click the file. No installer or wizard appears — MacroKey starts silently.
3. Look for the MacroKey icon in the system tray (near the clock). That icon is your control center.
4. Right-click the tray icon and choose Open to show the main window.

Building a macro

Open the window and select a profile in the left sidebar, then click New macro. A macro is made of three parts:

• A name so you can recognize it in the list.
• A step list — the actions MacroKey performs, top to bottom.
• A trigger — the global hotkey and run mode that fires it.

Add steps with the Add step menu, drag them by the grip handle to reorder, and use the repeat controls to run the whole sequence multiple times.

Action types

Every step is one of these actions:

• Key stroke — press, hold, or release a key or combination.
• Type text — enter a string of characters exactly as written.
• Move cursor — to absolute pixels or a relative offset.
• Mouse click — left, right, or middle; single or double.
• Scroll — up or down by a number of notches.
• Delay — wait a fixed number of milliseconds.
• Repeat block — repeat the following steps a set number of times.

Hotkeys & run modes

Click the trigger field and press your desired combination — MacroKey captures it, including modifier stacks like Ctrl+Alt+S and extra mouse buttons. Then choose a run mode:

• Once — plays the sequence one time per press. Best for text expanders and shortcuts.
• Toggle — the first press starts a looping macro; the next press stops it.
• Hold — repeats while you hold the key and stops when you let go. Ideal for auto-clickers.

Profiles & app scoping

Profiles group related macros. Switch the active profile from the sidebar, and only that profile's hotkeys are live. Give a profile an app scope to make it activate automatically when a specific application is in focus — so the same key can do different things in your editor, your browser, and a game.

The system tray

The tray icon is MacroKey's primary interface while it runs in the background. Right-click it for the menu:

Start with Windows

Enable Start with Windows from the tray menu or Settings. At your next login, MacroKey launches directly into the tray — no window opens, nothing pops up, and your macros are immediately live. This uses the standard Windows login-item mechanism and never requires administrator rights.

Closing vs quitting

These are deliberately different actions:

• Closing the window (the × button) hides it. MacroKey keeps running in the tray and your macros stay active. This is the default, controlled by the Minimize to tray setting.
• Quitting (tray → Quit) terminates MacroKey completely and removes the tray icon. This is the only normal way to fully stop the app.

Settings

Open Settings from the tray or the in-app sidebar to control:

• Start with Windows, and whether to launch minimized to the tray
• Minimize-to-tray on close, and tray notifications
• Theme (system, light, or dark)
• The global panic / stop hotkey
• Default delay inserted between key events

Keyboard shortcuts

Troubleshooting

My macro isn't firing

Confirm the macro's toggle is on, its profile is active, and the global switch in the Run view is enabled. If the profile is app-scoped, make sure that app is focused.

A game ignores the inputs

Some games only accept certain input methods. Try increasing the default key delay slightly so events aren't sent faster than the game reads them.

Windows warned me on first launch

Portable executables can trigger SmartScreen. Choose More info → Run anyway; signed builds minimize this.

The window won't come back

Right-click the tray icon and choose Open. If the tray icon is hidden, expand the overflow area (the ▲ near the clock).