Guide · image detection
Click a button when it appears on screen
Fixed click positions break when a window moves. Image steps make a macro look for the thing it needs, so it clicks the right place even when the layout shifts.
Steps
- Take a small screenshot of the target. Capture just the button or icon you want clicked, without its surroundings.
- Add a Wait for image step. Macro X watches the screen until the picture appears, up to the time limit you set.
- Click where it was found. Follow it with a click step set to the found position, with an optional offset.
- Decide what happens if it’s missing. Use an If image step to run other steps, stop, or try again when the image never appears.
Make image matching reliable
- Crop tightly. A small, distinctive image matches faster and more accurately than a large one.
- Search a region. Limiting the search to part of the screen makes each check much faster.
- Keep the same scaling. Take screenshots at the display scaling you’ll run the macro at.
- Allow Screen Recording for Macro X in System Settings, or it can’t see the screen. See the permissions guide.
Questions
How fast does Macro X spot an image?
Usually within a fraction of a second when the search area is small. Whole-screen searches on large displays take longer.
What if the image looks slightly different each time?
Lower the match confidence a little, or capture a part of the button that never changes.
Can it react to a colour instead of an image?
Yes. Colour triggers watch a point or area for a colour and are faster than image searches.