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Image via Blizzard Entertainment

WoW mouseover macros: How to instant cast abilities

Set this useful instant cast macro.

In World of Warcraft, macros are extremely important if you want to keep up with either PvP or PvE at the highest level. The mouseover macro instant cast is a great way to save time, allowing you to cast an ability simply by hovering over the intended target.

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Macros are custom tools in both retail and classic World of Warcraft which allow players to perform multiple actions at a time. For example, you can make a macro wherein you make your character say a specific line out loud whenever you cast Shadow Bolt.

The instant cast mouseover macro is one of the more practical uses of the player tool. If you are trying to set this macro in World of Warcraft, here’s what you can do.

How to make a mouseover macro in WoW Dragonflight

Fiery Ancient boss in Amirdrassil
Instant casts are perfect for high level raid situations | Image via Blizzard Entertainment

The mouseover macro allows you to cast a specific ability simply by hovering your mouse over the intended target. For example, if you want to cast Heroic Strike on every enemy you see, then you can program this as the default attack for mouseovers.

You can assign your mouseover macro in World of Warcraft Dragonflight by following the steps below:

  • Open your macro menu by typing /m or /macro
  • Click on create a new macro at the bottom of the panel
    • I recommend that you select the Question Mark icon to distinguish this macro from any others that you have already set
  • Insert the following command: /cast [@mousover,exists][@target,exists]
  • Open your spellbook side-by-side with the macro panel still up
  • Shift and left click your desired instant cast spell or ability
  • Save your macro and add to your hotbar
  • Go to an enemy and hover over to see if it works

With this in place, you should be able to cast the desired ability by either hovering over the physical character, their health bar, or name plate. This process works the exact same on World of Warcraft Classic, so you can have instant casts set up between all versions of the game.

How to make a mouseover macro in WoW Classic

If you are looking to create a mouseover macro in World of Warcraft Classic, it is the same basic process as the retail version:

  • Open the macro panel by typing /macro
  • Create a new macro at the bottom of the macro menu
  • Insert the following command into the open space: /cast [@mousover,exists][@target,exists]
  • Open your spell book with the macro page still up as well
  • Shift and left click on your desired ability or spell
  • Save your macro and add it to your action bar
  • Make sure to test it out to see if it works properly

With all this done, you should have an ability that instant activates whenever you mouse over an enemies’ health bar, physical person, or name plate.


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Author
Image of Blaine Polhamus
Blaine Polhamus
Staff Writer for Dot Esports. Avid gamer for two decades and gaming writer for three years. I'm a lover of anything Souls-like since 2011. I cover everything from single-player RPGs to MMOs.