Macros are saved replies that teammates insert into a conversation from the Inbox composer, optionally with actions such as tagging, assigning, or closing the conversation. With Operator, you can find, create, update, audit, and clean up macros in plain language. Use this article to learn what you can ask, how Operator writes a macro, and the limitations to be aware of.

Operator never changes a macro directly. Every create, update, and delete arrives as a proposal in the chat showing the macro's body, who can see it, and its actions. Nothing changes until you approve it.

Note: Operator is included as part of the Pro add-on. You'll need the Pro add-on to use it. You can still manage macros by hand in Settings > Inbox > Macros.

For how macros work in general, see Creating and managing macros.

What you can ask Operator to do

You don't need to say “macro”. Requests like “teammates should reply with X when Y”, “make this a saved reply”, or “add a canned response for X” go to macros. Requests about what Fin should say go to Fin's content and Guidance instead.

You want to…	Ask Operator
Find and read macros	“Do we have a macro about refunds?”, “What does the shipping macro say?”
Create a macro	“Create a macro for delayed orders”, “Teammates should reply with X when Y”
Update a macro's text, visibility, or actions	“Add the Urgent tag to the refund macro”, “Make it visible to Billing only”
Delete a macro	“Delete the old returns macro”
Audit macros	“Audit our macros”, “Do we have duplicate macros?”
Check usage	“Which macros haven't been used in 6 months?”, “What are our most used macros?”
Clean up unused macros	“Clean up macros not used this year”

Permissions for approving a change

Approving a proposal needs the same permissions as making the change by hand:

Shared macros (everyone or teams) — Manage saved replies, plus Create macros, Edit macros, or Delete macros for that change.
Personal macros — Use personal macros to create one. You can edit or delete your own personal macro without extra permissions.
Usage questions — Manage saved replies. Without it, Operator can't give you usage numbers.

How Operator works with macros

Finding macros

Operator searches shared macros by topic, so “refund” also finds a macro called “Money back request”. It checks your own personal macros by reading them. It only says no macro covers a topic after it has checked both.

Creating a macro

Operator checks for overlap first. If an existing macro is close, it offers to update that one instead of creating a duplicate.
It always asks who should see the new macro: just you, specific teams, all teams, or everyone. It never assumes.
It writes the body only from things it has read: your own words, an existing macro, your articles and snippets, Intercom product docs, or real conversations. Each proposal lists its sources under Basis.
Anything it can't back up is left out and listed under Gaps, with a question for you. A price, a refund window, a URL, or a promise is never guessed, left blank, or given a placeholder, because a teammate under time pressure would send the macro as is.
A macro that is only greeting, apology, and sign-off text needs no source and is proposed straight away.

Reviewing a proposal

Each proposal shows the macro's body (with changes marked on an update), who can see it, and its actions, such as tagging, assigning, setting priority, snoozing, or closing the conversation. Only Approve writes the change. You can also say what to change, for example “make it visible to Billing only”, and Operator updates the same pending proposal. If someone edits the macro after Operator built the proposal, approving it is blocked as out of date.

Updating a macro

Operator reads the current macro before proposing a change.
It keeps variables like {{first_name}} as they are, and only adds variables your workspace has.
It keeps every existing action unless you ask to remove one. Actions it can't safely rewrite (send a workflow, run a Data Connector, set a ticket state) are kept exactly as they are.
When you only ask to change the text, the actions are left alone.

Deleting a macro

Operator proposes the deletion and tells you it's permanent: the macro and its actions are removed. A deleted macro can't be restored from Operator.

Auditing macros

For “audit our macros”, Operator reads every macro you can see and reports duplicates, contradictions, and overlaps. It says how many macros it read out of how many exist, for example “I read 17 files, out of a list of roughly 200 macros”, so a partial audit is never presented as complete, and offers to read the rest. An audit only reports. Fixes are separate proposals, which Operator offers to make.

Usage and cleanup

Operator answers usage questions in one step: unused for 3, 6, or 12 months, most used, least used this quarter. Macros that have never been used are listed as “never used”.
It opens with the total, for example “174 macros haven't been used in the last 6 months”, and pages through long lists.
Usage is counted per macro, not per teammate. Operator can't say who used a macro.
“Last edited” is not usage. Operator answers those two questions separately.
To clean up, Operator proposes one deletion per unused macro, up to 10 at a time, and offers the next 10.

Note: Usage counts only insertions from the Inbox composer. A macro applied another way can look unused. Operator reminds you of this when it reports unused macros.

Known limitations

Approval is always required — There is no “just do it” mode for macros.
Usage counts Inbox composer insertions only — A macro applied another way can look unused.
No per-teammate usage — Operator can't say how often each teammate used a macro.
Content Operator can write — Text, headings, lists, code, buttons, links, and video links. It can't add images, attachments, Messenger cards, or tables. If a macro already has them, they are kept as they are.
Actions — Tags, team and teammate assignment, and conversation data attributes are supported, looked up by name. Operator can't yet set a conversation topic; add that in the product.
Folders are read-only — Operator can't move a macro to another folder.
Other teammates' personal macros are invisible — If you name one, Operator says it can't find it among the macros you can see. It may not exist, or it may be someone else's personal macro.
Cleanup runs in batches — 10 deletion proposals per turn.
Macro bodies come from what Operator has read, not from its own knowledge. A summary of conversation themes can show that a macro is needed; the actual wording comes from reading real conversations or other sources.

FAQs

Why can't Operator find my colleague's macro?

It's probably their personal macro. Operator only sees what you can see in the Inbox: shared macros, your teams' macros, and your own personal macros.

Why did Operator leave out the price or refund window?

Nothing it read stated the value, so it left it out rather than guess. Answer the question listed under Gaps and Operator updates the proposal.

Why does Operator ask who should see the macro every time?

Visibility is never assumed. Operator asks on every creation: just you, specific teams, all teams, or everyone.

Why did approving fail with a permission error?

You need Manage saved replies plus Create, Edit, or Delete macros for a shared macro, or Use personal macros for a new personal one. Ask an admin to check your permissions.

Why does approving say the macro has changed?

Someone edited the macro after the proposal was made. Ask Operator to propose the change again.

A macro shows as unused, but we use it. Why?

Usage counts Inbox composer insertions only. A macro applied another way isn't counted.

Does Fin use macros?

No. Macros are inserted by teammates, not used by Fin. Once you approve a change, the next time a teammate inserts that macro the customer receives the new text.

Does this work in Fin Standalone?

No. Macros are an Inbox feature, so this isn't available in Fin Standalone.

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Manage macros with Operator