Changelog

Every shipped build, in reverse chronological order.

Makro ships often - typically weekly - with a public changelog entry for every release. If something in a recent build changed behaviour you were relying on, this is where to look first. Contact us if a release broke a workflow.

v1.16.0 Latest

A working factory reset, a page diagnostic, and a cluster of backup, sync and security fixes

Added
  • A working "Start fresh" recovery action. If Makro ever says some macros on a device can't be unlocked, the banner's "Start fresh" button now does something - before, the button existed but nothing behind it did. It deletes your entire local library on that device, your clipboard history, your knowledge base and its search index, and clears your license (Pro or Premium needs reactivating after). Settings and any saved backup file are kept. The confirmation now says all of this before you confirm.
  • "Check this page" diagnostic (Settings, Help). If a macro won't expand somewhere, this scans the page and tells you whether Makro can find anywhere to insert text there at all, which answers a class of report the in-page failure notice can't: that notice only fires after Makro tries and fails, so a page it never even tries on triggers nothing. One click sends us a report if you want to.
Fixed
  • Manual sync could fail with "No internet connection detected" while you were fully online. The connectivity check relied on a third-party endpoint that changed its response behavior; Makro now trusts the browser's own online/offline signal instead.
  • Several license and data-safety bugs in the backup and restore path: a successful decryption could leave a device permanently blocked from saving, a restore could bring back a license that had been deliberately deactivated, and an interrupted restore could leave a device in a half-changed state. The restore flow now has real rollback points.
  • A macro body that merely looked like encrypted data could be written to disk unencrypted. Every write is now verified against the encryption itself, not just a marker on the value, in the extension and in Makro for Teams.
  • A synced, imported, or shared-pack macro with a specially crafted key could corrupt your local macro store. Screened out everywhere a macro can enter your library.
  • The AI Suggestions toggle could stay on and silently do nothing after turning on "local AI only" from the command palette. It now reflects real eligibility immediately.
  • Typing a hotword into a Zendesk-style (CKEditor 5) editor now keeps bold, italic and links, for the common case of typing the hotword directly or inserting from the search overlay.
  • A macro with two fill-in-the-blank prompts could open a second dialog instead of gathering both answers in one, discarding whatever you'd already answered. Now always one dialog, in the order the prompts appear.
v1.15.0

Real formatting in rich editors, formatted paste, and settings that apply without a reload

Added
  • Macros expand with real formatting. Write a macro with markdown bold, italic, strikethrough or links and it arrives as actual formatting in Gmail and most rich editors, however you fire it: typed hotword, keyboard shortcut, right-click menu or the search overlay. Plain fields get readable prose instead of raw markers (a macro with numbered fill-in fields keeps its markers), and text that was never formatting, like 5 * 3 or file_name_v2, reaches the field exactly as you typed it. Only markdown you typed converts: text pulled in at expansion time from the clipboard, your selection or a prompt answer stays literal, so a page cannot smuggle a link into your message.
  • Pasting formatted text into a macro keeps the formatting. Bold, italic, strikethrough and links from a page or document arrive in the macro body as markdown, link targets intact. Press Shift with the usual paste shortcut to insert the raw text instead.
Fixed
  • Turning a setting on now works in tabs you already have open. Clipboard history, blocked sites, clipboard auto clear, on-device language detection and Smart Copy used to apply only after a page reload; they apply immediately now.
  • Formatting survives the other ways text gets into a macro. Right-click Add Selection as Macro, TextExpander import and clipboard history all flattened text to plain before; each now keeps links, bold, italic and strikethrough, and clipboard history entries carry both a formatted and a plain version so pasting into a plain field is unchanged.
  • The editor live preview renders formatting and no longer leaves stray brackets when placeholders nest.
v1.14.0

One search bar, more accurate usage charts, and quieter Page Variables corrections

Changed
  • One search bar. The header search now drives the Packs and Library tabs too, so the separate search fields inside those tabs are gone - wherever you are, the header bar is where you search.
  • Compose is now part of Library. The Compose tab is gone; drafting lives inside Library, which is what the Knowledge tab is now called.
  • Usage charts are more accurate for heavy users. Expansions are now totaled per hour in a separate 60-day aggregate, so a macro fired hundreds of times in one day no longer evicts its own early-hour counts from Today and the rhythm heatmap.
Fixed
  • Semantic indexing follows your privacy settings. A macro's text goes to the search index only while semantic suggestions are turned on, and Sensitive Data Mode keeps it on your device like every other cloud AI feature.
  • The reserved [ENCRYPTED] title is rejected when saving a macro.
  • Imports with reserved folder names (__proto__, constructor, prototype) now succeed instead of failing.
Beta
  • Page Variables asks less. A captured value only re-prompts once, and only after it actually changed.
  • Payment and one-time-code fields are excluded from Page Variables capture and fill.
v1.13.0

Field extraction, AI cleanup and translate for every tier, and Smart Fill beta

New
  • Extract fields from a Knowledge entry. Paste a form, an email, or a contract and get labeled fields back, each one verified to trace to the exact words it came from - nothing that is not literally present survives the extraction.
  • Compact for AI. Trim a Knowledge entry to its essentials for grounding without touching what you actually saved, with one click back to the full version at any time.
New
  • Both Extract Fields and Compact for AI get an AI-assisted pass, verified against the same source-tracing rule as the free local version before anything reaches your review screen.
  • Grounded-truth refusal. Ask Makro to draft something the Knowledge base cannot back and it says so instead of writing a plausible-sounding guess.
Changed
  • Smart Translate no longer requires Pro/Premium. Available on every tier now, metered by the same credit pool as Smart Rewrite.
  • Smart Copy's AI cleanup and structured extraction no longer require Pro/Premium either. Available on every tier, credit-metered the same way.
  • If you had turned Smart Rewrite off, it is back on after this update. The setting that let you turn it off was removed - there is no control left to turn it back off.
Beta
  • Smart Fill. Makro can remember how you filled out a form and fill it again next time, entirely on-device and scoped to the exact site you filled it on. Opt in from Settings.
Fixed
  • Several double-expansion causes closed at once, across rich-text editors, IME composition, and the confirm-dialog flow.
  • Content scripts recover more reliably after an extension update, cutting down on stray console errors for tabs left open across the upgrade.
v1.12.0

One popup, one banner, and search that finds every setting

New
  • Search now covers every setting. The header search bar is wider, finds all of Makro's settings instead of a hand-picked few, and jumps straight to the right row. All / Macros / Settings chips in the results let you narrow what you are looking at.
  • Sync conflicts show their work. When two devices edit the same macro, Makro now lists each conflict, shows which version won, and lets you restore the other one per conflict.
Changed
  • One popup for everyone. The separate simple mode is gone; every install gets the same popup, with settings grouped essentials-first and the rest one fold away.
  • A cleaner header. Brand on the left, tabs centered, your stats on their own row, and the encryption lock turns green when your data is locked and good.
  • One banner at a time. Update notes, review prompts, tips, and upgrade cards used to stack; now the most important one shows and the rest wait their turn.
Fixed
  • Editing a placeholder no longer risks breaking it. The placeholder editor opens right next to the token you clicked, suggestions open at your cursor instead of below the whole editor, and picking a suggestion inside an existing placeholder no longer corrupts it.
  • Describe-a-macro only adds input placeholders when your macro actually asks for input. "Ask the user for their IP" now writes a question, not a fill-in field.
  • Buttons in the editor are the same height, dismiss buttons sit on the same side of every banner, and the macro list no longer draws a stray focus box around empty space.
v1.11.0

Stats that remember, and rewrites that keep your formatting

New
  • A knowledge base, built in. Save stickies, contacts, terms and specs, then insert them into any page from the search overlay (Ctrl+Shift+Space). Free covers 15 entries; Pro adds unlimited entries, cross-device sync, and Smart Rewrite grounding.
  • Link your notes together. Use [[double brackets]] to connect knowledge entries and macros, with a flag when a linked entry changes.
New
  • Smart Rewrite can draw on your knowledge base. Pro rewrites pull in the entries relevant to what you are writing, so the AI has your terms and specs in front of it. Sensitive fields are never sent.
  • Import a web page as a card. Paste a link and Makro saves a clean, readable copy of the page as a knowledge entry. URL import is a Pro feature.
Fixed
  • Your daily stats are back. The day and week charts were rebuilt each time from a log that only kept the last 100 uses of each macro, so one heavy day erased the days before it. Makro now keeps a running daily total, and yesterday and last week stay filled in.
  • Smart Rewrite no longer wraps the result in quotation marks.
  • Smart Rewrite keeps your formatting. Tabs, blank lines, and links survive the rewrite instead of collapsing into one flat block of text.
  • Adding a macro with the quick-add hotkey no longer breaks the line numbers in the editor.
  • Macros you hid from smart menus stay hidden. They no longer turn up as suggestions.
Changed
  • Humanize AI output, on by default. Rewrites now keep the phrasing that makes text read like AI out of your text: "not X, but Y" framing, buzzwords like delve or seamless, filler hedging, and em-dashes you never typed. It only governs wording the AI adds. Your own words, punctuation, and content are left alone. Turn it off in Settings under AI.
v1.10.1

Accuracy fixes

Fixed
  • The in-app What's New now states availability correctly: importing a web page as a card is a Pro feature, and image text extraction is in closed beta (request access at makroexpander.com/beta).
v1.10.0

A built-in knowledge base and AI credit packs

New
  • A knowledge base, built in. Save stickies, contacts, terms and specs, then insert them into any page from the search overlay (Ctrl+Shift+Space). Free covers 15 entries; Pro adds unlimited entries, cross-device sync, and Smart Rewrite grounding. The Knowledge tab has a fresh, easier-to-scan layout.
  • Link your notes together. Use [[double brackets]] to connect knowledge entries and macros, with a flag when a linked entry changes.
  • AI credit packs. One-time packs (100, 500, or 1500 credits) that stack on your monthly allowance and never expire. A Buy credits option appears when you run out.
  • Skipped setup still gets you started. Skipping onboarding now creates one ready-to-use starter macro (.thx) so expansion works immediately.
  • Keep your Pro plan at 2 months free. Choosing annual billing now saves you two months versus paying monthly - Pro is $29.90/year (works out to $2.49/mo) and Premium is $59.90/year ($4.99/mo). Annual is the default on the pricing page; monthly is still one click away.
New
  • Import a web page as a card. Paste a link and Makro saves a clean, readable copy of the page as a knowledge entry. URL import is a Pro feature.
Beta
  • Pull text out of a screenshot. Capture an image and Makro extracts the text straight into a macro or a knowledge card, with the image itself never stored. This is in closed beta - request access at makroexpander.com/beta.
Changed
  • When your monthly AI credits run low, Makro now shows how many are left and where to top up.
Fixed
  • Payment problems no longer fail silently. If a subscription payment fails, Makro now emails you with a link to update your card and shows a reminder in the extension, so a lapsed card does not quietly end your Pro access.
Fixed
  • Fresh installs preselect Makro Cloud AI in onboarding as intended. The choice is still yours; local AI stays available.
v1.9.1

On-device translation, and sync that never loses an edit

New
  • Translation can now run entirely on your device. On Chrome 138+ and new Edge, translating a macro or a selection uses the browser's built-in translator: after a one-time language-pack download, nothing you translate leaves your machine - and it works on the free tier.
  • A free Accessibility starter pack: ten macros that expand short triggers into complete sentences - assistive-technology disclosures, accommodation and appointment requests, courtesy replies, and a contact-details fill.
New
  • After an AI Vision extraction, a toggle compares the AI's text with a plain OCR read of the same image.
Improved
  • Editing the same macro on two devices no longer silently discards the older edit: the newer edit wins, but the losing text is saved into the macro's version history.
  • Category renames, moves, and deletes now follow the same newest-edit-wins rule as macros; usage counts never regress across devices; auto-sync devices pull cloud changes every 6 hours on their own.
Fixed
  • Zendesk: expanding a hotword no longer leaves the trigger text behind, and inserting from the search overlay lands at your cursor instead of the top of the reply.
  • Hotwords now expand in email and URL fields.
Fixed
  • Images sent to AI Vision have metadata (GPS position, capture time) removed first, and Makro asks before a cloud send if the image's text looks like a card or Social Security number.
v1.8.19

Retry a Smart Copy scan, and an editor that explains itself

New
  • Smart Copy can retry a scan on the spot: a Try again menu offers different read modes, including rotation fixes for sideways or tilted photos.
  • The macro editor now shows what goes inside a placeholder while you type it - for example [$REPLACE: brings up "find : replace : text" - and hovering a date or time chip previews the exact value it would insert right now.
  • Move a line (or a selected block) up or down in the macro editor with Alt+Arrow.
Fixed
  • Pro features no longer switch off inside an already-open Makro window.
  • Clearing or re-recording a macro keyboard shortcut now enables Save.
  • Typing [% opens one suggestion menu, not two stacked ones.
v1.8.18

Makro now catches duplicated expansions

New
  • If an expansion ever lands twice, Makro now spots it: in normal text fields the extra copy is removed automatically, and in rich-text editors you get a heads-up with a one-tap report so we can fix that site.
  • The uninstall survey is now translated into all 7 languages, and picking Other shows tappable reasons instead of a blank box.
Improved
  • The Report a bug email now starts with your version and browser already filled in.
v1.8.17

Find any setting by typing its name

New
  • Open Makro's search overlay, type > then a setting's name (theme, backups, blocklist...) and hit Enter - Settings opens scrolled to that exact option.
Improved
  • The macro editor stats line (Created, Uses, Time saved) now displays in your language in Simple mode too.
v1.8.16

A simpler rating prompt

Improved
  • We simplified the in-app prompt that asks you to rate Makro.
v1.8.15

Live page variables: reliability fixes

Beta
  • Reliability and accuracy fixes for live page variables and the "Test on active page" check.
v1.8.14

Live variables: more accurate page test

Beta
  • "Test on active page" is now more accurate for live variables, so it no longer reports a match from an unrelated frame.
v1.8.13

Live variables: clearer capture, better test

Beta
  • Capturing a value that changes from page to page now shows "Saved as Live", so you can see it will read the current value rather than a saved copy.
  • "Test on active page" now also checks values shown inside embedded panels and frames (like a helpdesk app panel), instead of only the main page.
v1.8.12

Live variables, easier to get right

Beta
  • Captured values that change from page to page - a ticket id, a date, a reference number - now switch on Live automatically, so they read the current value instead of pasting an older copy.
  • The Live switch on each variable now clearly shows whether it is on or off.
v1.8.11

Live variables read app panels

Beta
  • Live page variables can now read a value shown as plain text in a panel on the page (like a helpdesk app panel showing customer info) - not just values typed into form boxes - even when that panel sits in its own frame. The value is shown for you to confirm before it goes in.
Improved
  • The Settings tab now shows the app version, in line with the other tabs.
v1.8.10

Live variables read across frames

Beta
  • Live page variables can now read a value from a different frame on the same page - for example a value shown in a helpdesk app panel that sits in its own embedded frame, pulled into your reply. The value is shown for you to confirm before it goes in.
v1.8.9

Live variables: clearer feedback

Beta
  • Live page variables now tell you when a value cannot be read from the current page, instead of leaving the [%name] placeholder in your text with no explanation. When the field sits inside an embedded frame (like some helpdesk reply boxes), the message says so.
v1.8.8

Compare & diff text

New
  • Compare two blocks of text in an on-page overlay and see exactly what changed, with the differences highlighted. Open it with Ctrl+Shift+U (remappable in Settings) or from the right-click menu.
  • New [$DIFF] placeholder: show the difference between two values right inside a macro. Choose a customer-friendly view (changed words as before -> after, or two labeled blocks) or a developer view (unified +/- lines) in the built-in visual editor with live preview.
Fixed
  • Tidied the keyboard-shortcut settings rows and the command-palette labels so they display correctly.
v1.8.7

Command palette

New
  • In the Makro search box (Ctrl+Shift+Space), type > to switch to a command palette - run actions and toggle settings (open editor, clipboard history, sync, theme, and more) without leaving the page.
v1.8.6

Keyboard shortcuts

New
  • A keyboard-shortcut cheat-sheet you can open on any page (default Ctrl+/), plus a shortcut to open the Makro editor from anywhere (default Ctrl+Shift+E). Both are remappable in Settings.
v1.8.5

Reliability

Fixed
  • Hardened how your settings are saved so two rapid changes can no longer overwrite each other.
v1.8.4

Bug fixes

Fixed
  • Your device list now shows when each device was last seen and tags the current device.
  • Smart Rewrite now works in more text fields, including search and phone fields.
Beta
  • Page Variables: the setup card dismisses correctly, and "Test on active page" checks the page you came from.
  • Smart Translate now works in more text fields (search and phone), and clicking it without beta access now shows a message instead of doing nothing.
v1.8.3

Editor and suggestion fixes

Fixed
  • Macro suggestions no longer re-suggest the macro you just inserted.
Improved
  • Better text insertion in rich-text editors used by some help-desk tools.
v1.8.2

Reliability improvements

Improved
  • Reliability and stability fixes, including fewer edge-case failures in "Create with AI" macro generation.
v1.8.1

Choose your AI

New
  • Choose your AI when you set up Makro: Makro Cloud (works right away, 25 free Smart Rewrites a month, nothing to install) or Local AI on your device. Your text is encrypted in transit and never used to train AI either way.
  • Already using Makro on Local AI without a local model? If you never picked a setup, a one-tap card switches you to free Cloud AI so Smart Rewrite just works.
v1.8.0

Helpdesk placeholders

New
  • Identity placeholders: set your name and team once in Settings, then [$MY_NAME] and [$MY_TEAM] resolve on any site. One shared macro signs off correctly for whoever runs it.
  • Ticket placeholders for support replies - [$TICKET_EMAIL], [$TICKET_ID], [$TICKET_COMPANY] - discoverable from the editor sidebar and the [$ autocomplete, with sample values shown in the editor. They prompt you to fill in until automatic look-up arrives for your helpdesk.
  • Rosetta Stone: inside Zendesk or FreeScout template editors, Makro tokens emit that platform's native placeholder syntax (for example [$TICKET_ID] becomes {{ticket.id}} on Zendesk).
  • A free Helpdesk Tickets starter pack demonstrating the new vocabulary.
Improved
  • One shared safety wall now guards every Makro feature that opens or fetches a link, blocking private and internal addresses consistently.
v1.7.1

The visual macro editor

New
  • Placeholders in the editor now render as colored chips. Click any chip to edit its settings in an inspector (dates, times, prompts, choices) instead of hand-typing the syntax.
  • A builder for IF conditions: create show-this-when-that rules from dropdowns, no bracket syntax required.
  • Live preview: toggle Preview to see exactly what your macro will paste, with every placeholder resolved.
  • Day-count placeholders: [$DAYSUNTIL:2026-12-25] inserts the number of days until a date, [$DAYSSINCE:2026-01-01] the days since one, with a calendar picker in the editor.
  • Makro now works inside rich-text editors that run in their own frame (Zendesk-style composers): hotword expansion activates there, and on-device language detection (beta) can read the conversation from the surrounding page. Same-origin frames only.
Beta
  • Language tabs: keep one macro in several languages, with AI translation that protects your placeholders - they are masked before translation and verified intact after.
  • On-device language detection: Makro can detect the language of the conversation you are replying to and expand the matching language copy. Detection runs entirely on your device; page text never leaves your browser.
Improved
  • Security hardening across license validation, sync, and link-opening placeholders, from our June security audit.
v1.6.1

Copy macros anywhere, plus broader and more reliable expansion

New
  • Copy button in the editor: copy a macro (placeholders resolved) to your clipboard and paste it anywhere, including Google Docs, where direct insertion is not possible.
Improved
  • Macros now expand in search bars and more field types, not just standard text boxes.
  • More reliable expansion on dynamic, single-page sites that swap out fields as you type.
  • Date placeholders like [$DATE+7d] now preview correctly in the editor, with a hint if the unit is missing.
v1.6.0

Editor autocomplete for placeholders

New
  • Type [$ in the editor to search your placeholders by name and insert them, without remembering the exact spelling.
v1.5.11

Clipboard clearing fixed, plus editor refinements

Fixed
  • Clearing your clipboard history now removes every entry, including items captured moments earlier, instead of leaving some to reappear.
  • Some beta features could navigate your current tab unexpectedly; they no longer do.
Improved
  • Editor refinements: a soft-wrap-aware line-number gutter, restyled OCR helpers, and a corrected layout in narrow windows.
  • A frequently-used placeholder row in the editor, plus wrapping a text selection directly into link, image, and AI-prompt placeholders.
v1.5.10

Recover your license key yourself

New
  • Lost your license key? A new "Lost your key?" link in the popup lets you recover it: enter your account email and we email you a link to your customer portal, where your license key is shown.
v1.5.9

Full translations in six languages, and free Team Pack import

New
  • The entire popup is now translated in German, Spanish, French, Japanese, Korean, and Brazilian Portuguese (previously some panels fell back to English).
Improved
  • Importing a shared Team Pack is now free on every plan.
Fixed
  • Placeholder examples (like [$DATE]) and plan prices now display correctly in the editor.
  • The placeholder chip grid no longer overflows the advanced editor.
v1.5.8

Redact sensitive text, and calmer macro suggestions

New
  • New [$REDACT:[$SELECTION]] placeholder masks emails and phone numbers in the selected text while keeping a verifiable hint (for example j****@gmail.com or ***-***-1234), so you can share screenshots or confirm contact details without exposing them.
Improved
  • The macro suggestion box is calmer: it no longer covers the text you are typing, dismisses when you press Enter to send, fades out on its own, and a new match-strength slider lets you control how often it appears.
Fixed
  • "Extract Text" (OCR) works again on images hosted anywhere on the web.
  • The macro editor now flags an unclosed or unknown [$...] placeholder as you type.
v1.5.7

Shortcuts that work anywhere

New
  • Smart Actions: give a macro a keyboard shortcut and it works even when you are not clicked into a text box. Press it anywhere to copy the result, ready to paste or send. Add [$OPENURL:...] to open a link in a new tab instead.
  • New [$SELECTION_OR_CLIPBOARD] placeholder uses your highlighted text, or the clipboard when nothing is highlighted.
Fixed
  • Quick-search now inserts a macro at your cursor in rich editors like Zendesk, instead of at the top of the field.
  • Manage billing now opens your billing portal (it previously hit a 404).
  • "Suggest variants with AI" no longer errors out.
  • Auto-backup now shows the correct next and last backup dates.
Polish
  • Time saved on the Stats screen is labeled all-time, so it is no longer mistaken for the monthly figure.
  • Clearer OCR crosshair and detected-text overlay.
  • Data & Sync now has an info button explaining what end-to-end encryption means.
v1.5.6

Report a site that needs a hand

New
  • Report this site: when expansion runs into trouble on a page, the troubleshooting notice now has a one-click button that sends us only the site name and editor type so we can add support for it faster.
Polish
  • First-run setup now reminds you to refresh tabs you already had open, so Makro starts working on them right away.
v1.5.5

Faster Smart Rewrite

New
  • In-page Smart Rewrite hotkey (default Ctrl+Shift+;). Trigger Smart Rewrite on any selected text without reaching for the mouse. The shortcut is fully configurable in Settings > Shortcuts.
Polish
  • Shortcut binding now blocks OS-reserved and browser-reserved key combos (e.g. Cmd+Tab, Ctrl+W) so you cannot accidentally bind a chord that will never fire.
  • Shortcut conflict detection now flags silent collisions across every Save action in the popup, not just some.
Privacy
  • Tier-targeted announcements (Pro / Premium) now route only to subscribers whose plan matches the target tier.
v1.5.4

Submit a pack to the public library

New
  • Export Pack now has a Submit to Library option for Pro users. Send any pack (3 or more macros) to makroexpander.com/packs. Reviewed by Makro before publishing so other users can find and install it.
Polish
  • Account upgrade card now shows the monthly cost when annual billing is selected, so the savings are visible at a glance.
  • Fixed: "You've saved" header on the account upgrade card was missing the time-saved value across all 7 languages.
v1.5.3

Share your favorite macros with one link

New
  • Export Pack now has a Share Link option. Send a single short link to a teammate instead of a JSON file - they open it, click Install, and your pack lands in their Makro in one step.
  • Sensitive packs can be password-protected: turn on Encrypt with password and only people with the password can open the link. Makro servers never see the password or the pack contents.
v1.5.2

Browser tabs now show the Makro icon

Polish
  • When you open Makro in a browser tab or pinned window, the tab now shows the Makro icon instead of a generic browser globe - easier to spot in a row of tabs.
v1.5.1

More placeholders on the free plan

Free
  • [$PROMPT:Label] is now available on the free plan: shows an input dialog at expansion time so the same macro can ask for a name, subject, or any other quick value.
  • [$CHOICE:option1|option2|option3] is now available on the free plan: shows a dropdown picker at expansion time for predetermined options.
  • Tab stops [$1] through [$9] and [$0] are now available on the free plan: press Tab to jump between fillable spots in an expanded macro; [$0] sets where the cursor lands.
v1.5.0

Smart Variants, redesigned onboarding, and tab mode

New (Pro)
  • Smart Variants (Pro + beta): one hotword can expand into different text depending on the site you are on, the time of day, your browser language, or other conditions. Get early access at makroexpander.com/beta.
  • Suggest with AI (beta): let Smart Rewrite propose variant bodies for an existing macro, sanitized to your tier and conditions.
New
  • Redesigned onboarding: a faster first-run experience with three paths - import from another tool, start with a pack, or skip and explore.
  • Tab mode: open Makro as a pinnable browser tab alongside the floating window. Pick your default in Settings > Preferences. New installs start in tab mode; existing users keep their current setup.
  • Telemetry transparency: every privacy toggle has an (i) button next to it that shows the exact data payload before you opt in.
  • Help FAQ in Settings: built-in answers to the most common questions about expansion, sync, encryption, and tiers.
  • Refreshed popup typography and themes (default / workbench / nord / light) with full WCAG AA contrast across every theme. Save (Ctrl+Enter) and Close (Esc) keyboard shortcuts are now visible on the editor buttons.
Improved
  • Importing macros from TextExpander, Espanso, and Alfred now preserves more placeholder syntax automatically. Date and time tokens, fillable fields, dropdowns, and form fields convert to Makro [$Placeholder] format on import. Headerless CSV exports are detected and imported correctly.
  • Smart Rewrite handles slow responses and stuck sessions more gracefully, with a "Reset AI session" option if a request hangs. LM Studio is detected reliably when set as your AI provider.
  • Privacy Policy updated (May 11, 2026): clearer disclosure of opt-in telemetry fields and a new "Beta Features" section. Makro Cloud is explicitly opt-in; local AI providers (Ollama, LM Studio) remain the default. Read the full policy at /privacy.
  • Esc closes the macro editor from any field, not just the body text. Switching between tab mode and floating window keeps each surface's geometry independent.
v1.4.9

Category hide-from-smart-menus checkbox now saves

Fixed
  • The category-level "Hide from Top 10 / Last 5 / Similar" checkbox in Manage Categories now stays checked after saving. Previously the setting was silently dropped on every save.
v1.4.8

Hide an entire category from Top 10 / Last 5 / Similar

New
  • Hide a whole category - and everything inside it - from Top 10 / Last 5 / Similar / Stats in one click. Open Manage Categories and tick the 🚫 box next to any category.
Fixed
  • The per-macro "Hide from Top 10 / Last 5 / Similar" checkbox now stays checked after saving. Previously the setting was silently dropped on every save.
v1.4.7

Smoother first-macro experience

Fixed
  • Saving your very first macro now prompts you to name your first category, then saves straight away - no more getting stuck on a fresh install.
v1.4.6

[$CHOICE] dropdown + translate submenu + Smart Vision fix

New
  • [$CHOICE:a|b|c] placeholder: shows a dropdown of predetermined options when the macro expands. Pipe-separated so options can include commas. Example: [$CHOICE:Hi, there|Hello|Hey].
  • Right-click "Translate Selection to..." submenu: pick the target language explicitly instead of always translating to the last-used language. Avoids wasted AI usage on the wrong language.
Fixed
  • Smart Vision now extracts text from images instead of describing them. The extraction rider is now always applied, including when a preset is selected.
v1.4.5

[$PROMPT] + [$RANDOM] improvements

Fixed
  • Zendesk and other CKEditor-based sites: [$PROMPT] placeholders no longer insert the expanded text twice, including when the prompt comes from a nested [$MACRO] reference.
New
  • [$RANDOM] now accepts | (pipe) or ; (semicolon) as separators, letting you include commas inside options. Example: [$RANDOM:Hi, there|Hello|Hey, friend]. Existing comma-separated macros continue to work unchanged.
v1.4.2

Onboarding tip fix

Fixed
  • The onboarding "Press [shortcut] to search" tip now shows your actual configured shortcut instead of "null".
v1.4.1

Reliability improvements

What's new
  • Behind-the-scenes reliability and stability improvements. No changes to features or settings.
v1.3.5

Sparkle animation on by default

What's new
  • A subtle sparkle appears on the text field when a macro expands, making it clearer that the expansion happened. You can toggle this off in Settings > Privacy if you’d prefer.
v1.3.3

Trial flow update + reliability fixes

Trial flow
  • "Start Trial" now opens a checkout page in a new tab. A payment method is required. You will not be charged during the 30-day trial period, and you can cancel anytime from your Polar account.
  • Trials auto-convert to paid at day 30 unless you cancel. No more remembering to come back and subscribe.
Reliability
  • OCR quota tracking is more accurate, especially when multiple OCR attempts fire in quick succession.
  • Subscription state sync with Polar has been improved so resubscriptions restore Pro access promptly.
  • The "Out of Smart Rewrite credits" prompt now opens checkout in a new tab, matching the other Start Trial buttons.
v1.2.9

Security: tighter per-tab quota throttle

Security
  • Per-tab AI quota throttle introduced in v1.2.7 now verifies the bypass origin against a real extension URL instead of absence-of-tab. An external security review flagged the original bypass as over-broadly trusting any future context without a tab. Legitimate popup/extension pages continue to work unchanged.
  • Regression check 13l (rate-limit ordering on worker endpoints) now fails closed when the target function cannot be located, instead of silently passing on a refactor.
v1.2.8

Hotfix: AI Vision consent Accept

Fixed
  • AI Vision consent dialog: clicking "Enable AI Vision" no longer fails with a content-script permission error (regression introduced in v1.2.7 and caught before any store submission).
v1.2.7

Security hardening + lockout protection

Security
  • Closed a tamper-detection downgrade where an attacker with the sync key could craft macros that bypass the AAD integrity check.
  • Locked down 5 message handlers that were callable from any webpage - no malicious site can rename your categories, decrypt backups, or silently grant AI Vision consent.
  • Added per-tab rate limit on AI features so a malicious site cannot drain your AI Smart Rewrite quota in the background.
  • License management now clears all subscription/trial flags when you switch keys and cannot accidentally overwrite a paid license with a trial.
Worker
  • Rate-limit lockout protection on /api/install, /api/event, /beta, /contact - bots can no longer spam empty requests to lock out real users from behind a shared IP.
  • Diagnostic logs scrub upstream error bodies and use HMAC-derived hash prefixes for correlation.
Defense-in-depth
  • Clipboard history source label now derived from the real sender tab URL - a malicious iframe cannot claim a fake source domain.
  • Toggling semantic suggestions off in popup takes effect immediately (previously required a service-worker restart).
v1.2.6

Subscription fixes + editor stability

Subscription fixes
  • Cancelled-but-not-yet-ended subscriptions retain Pro access until the billing period ends. Previously Polar's "canceled" and "past_due" states wrongly locked users out of Smart Rewrite, Smart Translate, and cloud sync mid-period.
  • A stale "trial expired" flag from a previous trial no longer locks paying users out of AI features or shows the "sync paused" badge.
Editor stability
  • Pressing Esc on a [$PROMPT] dialog inside a textarea or input now restores the hotword you typed instead of destroying it.
  • Macro expansion in editors that reconcile their DOM (Slate, ProseMirror, Lexical, Zendesk) is more reliable. Insertion point is verified before text placement, preventing wrong-location inserts.
  • Floating popup window no longer grows a few pixels each time it is reopened on Firefox.
v1.2.5

Reliability polish

Fixes
  • Smart Rewrite and Smart Translate now work on editors built with web components and open shadow DOM. Selections that span multiple nodes inside a shadow root are recognized correctly.
  • Checkout page now collects your email up front and pre-fills it on the Polar checkout, so receipts and license keys actually reach you if you close the tab and come back.
  • Checkout page Proceed button waits for the embedded checkout script to finish loading before it lights up, so a fast click no longer bounces you to Polar's hosted page.
Under the hood
  • Ghost Expansion placeholder parser consolidated to a single source of truth. Tests now exercise the exact code the browser runs, closing a drift gap.
v1.2.3

Try Pro in one click

Proactive trial surfaces
  • Quota exhaustion CTA: hitting the 25 free Smart Rewrite credits cap now offers a one-click 30-day Pro trial instead of a dead-end error. Peak willingness-to-convert moment.
  • Macro milestone banner: free users crossing 10 saved macros see a single, dismissible nudge with a one-click Start Trial button. Fires once, ever.
  • Update banner now tracks the canonical latest version via the worker heartbeat, so v1.1.9 users who never saw a nudge finally get one.
Reliability
  • Worker sync push endpoint: null-safe body parsing prevents rare 500s when the client omits optional fields.
  • Popup: createNewMacro no longer drops a freshly-saved macro if the user switches category mid-save.
  • Locales: restored missing diacritics in es, fr, and three more language files.
v1.2.1

Smart Translate + AI Prompts pack

Smart Translate
  • New Smart Rewrite action that translates selected text between 12 languages (English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese Brazil, Italian, Dutch, Polish, Japanese, Korean, Chinese Simplified, Arabic).
  • Auto-detect source language option.
  • Runs fully offline with Ollama or LM Studio. Cloud route via Makro Cloud for Pro and Premium.
  • Compact popover with swap button. Remembers your last-used source and target languages.
  • Available in both the popup AI Rewrite menu and the on-page inline rewrite overlay.
AI Prompts starter pack (Pro)
  • 18 curated prompts for writing, coding, research, and business workflows.
  • Works with any AI chat interface (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity).
  • Uses Makro placeholders for customizable fields.
Stats panel
  • "Month" view now uses calendar month boundaries so totals match the header banner.
  • Time Saved calculated from real macro body length at 200 CPM instead of a flat 5 second estimate.
  • Minute and hour formatting no longer produces "1h 60m" edge cases at rounding boundaries.
Onboarding
  • Skipping the pack selection step now continues to the AI demo and tips instead of exiting.
  • Skip flag clears on re-entry so returning users get a clean flow.
  • Back button from step 7 correctly returns to step 4 when the user skipped.
Polish
  • Pinned popup dimensions to 780x580 to prevent size drift when reopening.
  • Added data-i18n-title, data-i18n-aria-label, and data-i18n-placeholder support for better screen reader coverage.
  • Localized Chrome Web Store and Firefox AMO titles for French, German, Japanese, and Korean.
  • Corrected Magical comparison page to reflect their "600/month cap" rather than "free tier removed".
v1.2.0

Popup sizing + stats alignment

Fixes
  • Pinned popup dimensions so the window no longer grows a few pixels each time it is reopened.
  • Stats panel "Month" period now aligned with the header banner monthly counter.
  • Time Saved metric now uses the real body-length-based calculation (200 CPM) instead of the legacy flat 5 second estimate.
  • Skipping the onboarding pack selection now continues to the AI demo and tips instead of closing the wizard.
v1.1.9

Makro Credits rebrand + security hardening

Rebrand
  • "AI Smart Rewrite" normalized to "Smart Rewrite" across all 7 locales, store listings, and SSR pages.
  • "Makro Credits" established as the universal AI quota unit (25 free, 500 Pro, 10,000 Premium per month).
Imports
  • New Magical importer with DevTools extraction instructions.
  • Text Blaze converter now handles 14 placeholder types including formmenu with default, if/else/endif, nested repeat.
  • Converter quick wins across 6 more tools: TextExpander filltext defaults, Espanso date/time, AutoHotkey Tab/Enter, Alfred time, PhraseExpress if/else, Typinator datetime.
Security
  • Content scripts can no longer call saveMacro, deleteMacro, or installPack (POPUP_ONLY guard expansion).
  • Sync push now type-guards all macro and category string fields before D1 bind.
  • License key activation eliminates the plaintext storage window via on-demand encryption init.
  • Clipboard history capped at 200 entries per CLAUDE.md storage quota guidance.