Bulk activate or deactivate macros

Use bulk activation and deactivation to change the availability of multiple macros in one operation.

• Activate makes inactive macros available in Zendesk again.
• Deactivate keeps macros in Zendesk but prevents agents from using them until they are activated again.

Bulk activate macros

To activate multiple inactive macros:

1. Open Management.
2. Filter the table to show inactive macros.
3. For that, click the filter icon inside the search box to the right,  find the 'Status' dropdown, and select 'Inactive'.
4. Select the macros you want to activate.
5. Click the Activate button on the bottom action panel.

After the operation is complete, the macros become active in Zendesk according to their existing access settings.

Bulk deactivate macros

To deactivate multiple active macros:

1. Open Management.
2. Filter the table to show active macros.
3. Select the macros you want to deactivate.
4. Open the bulk-action menu.
5. Click the Deactivate button on the bottom action panel.

After the operation is complete, the macros remain in Zendesk but are no longer available for agents to apply.

When to deactivate instead of delete

Use deactivation when:

• a macro may be needed again;
• the macro is being reviewed;
• the macro is seasonal;
• you want to stop usage temporarily;
• you are not ready to remove it permanently.

Deactivation preserves the existing Zendesk macro and its ID. The macro can be activated again later.

Deletion removes the macro from Zendesk. Restoring a deleted macro creates a new macro with a new Zendesk macro ID.

Review macros before activation

Before activating inactive macros, confirm that:

• the macro content is still accurate;
• its ticket fields and values still exist;
• its access settings are still appropriate;
• another macro has not replaced it;
• its actions are still valid for the intended workflow.

Activating an outdated macro can make incorrect or obsolete actions available to agents again.

Review macros before deactivation

Before deactivating active macros, check:

• recent usage;
• the last-used date;
• whether the macro supports a rare or seasonal workflow;
• whether another active macro provides the same function;
• whether affected agents or teams need to be informed.

Low usage alone does not always mean that a macro is unnecessary.

What happens after the operation

After activation or deactivation:

• the macro keeps the same Zendesk macro ID;
• its title, actions, and access settings remain unchanged;
• its active state is updated in Zendesk;
• the change is recorded in macro history.

Wait for the operation to finish before refreshing the page or starting another bulk action.

Partial failures

Some macros may fail even when others in the same bulk operation succeed.

A macro may fail when:

• it was changed or deleted after selection;
• the current user does not have permission to update it;
• Zendesk rejects the update;
• the local data is no longer current;
• another operation is already processing.

Review the result for each affected macro before retrying.

Do not repeat the entire operation without first confirming which macros were already updated.

Trial limit

Trial accounts can complete up to 20 bulk operations during the 14-day trial.

Activating or deactivating several selected macros in one confirmed action counts as one bulk operation.