The term action is associated with macros, and has several meanings. First, an action is the basic building block of a macro. A macro is typically written as a multi-step process, where each line represents an action, or a task that is performed. When the actions are taken in sequence, an overall action results. In other macro languages, an action is sometimes referred to as a command.

A macro is a self-contained instruction that can be combined with other actions in order to automate a task. In the following example, containing a macro with instructions to indent every fourth line of a document by eight spaces, each of the lines is an action. Together, once a name for the macro is supplied, the actions make up the macro.

• move cursor to beginning of line
• move cursor down one line
• move cursor down one line
• move cursor down one line
• move cursor down one line
• insert eight spaces

In the above example, the macro is made up of a series of actions, self-contained instructions. Also, the overall task that the macro was constructed to speed up (the indenting of a designated line) is itself an action. Thus, the term action can also refer to the task for which the macro has been constructed. A series of actions combine to produce an overall action. In the absence of a macro, the performance of many constituent actions would fall to the user. Considering each of the self-contained instructions as a command eliminates confusion, as does considering the overall function specified by the macro as an action.

Macros, and their constituent actions, are used in word processing and spreadsheet documents. Macros can be simple, consisting of only a few actions, as in the example above. Complex macros can be made up of hundreds of actions. In spreadsheets, the actions in a macro often take the form of performing a mathematical calculation on the data appearing in designated cells of the spreadsheet. Other actions can be constructed to relate one spreadsheet to other spreadsheets and one line of a program to other lines in the same program. Tax calculation software relies upon such actions.