Office macro
An Office macro is code that automates tasks in a Microsoft Office application, such as formatting a document or processing a spreadsheet.
Automation inside a document workflow
Macros can perform legitimate repetitive work. VBA, or Visual Basic for Applications, is one language used for Office automation. A workbook containing code is not automatically malicious, but allowing that code to run is different from reading its cells.
That distinction matters when an unexpected document tells someone to enable content to see a report. The document’s own instructions do not establish who wrote its code or whether the organization approved it.
A blocked macro can mean the protection worked
Microsoft documents default blocking of internet-origin VBA macros in supported Office applications on Windows. The outcome depends on factors including file origin, trust settings, version, and organizational policy. Do not assume every user will see the same warning or an Enable Content button.
A request to move a file into a trusted location or relax a policy deserves review beyond “make the spreadsheet open.” Such a change can affect more than the one file the employee wants to read.
The Office macro guide separates editing, code execution, and trust changes. It also suggests resolving the business need with an approved static export where appropriate. If a macro may already have run, report the file and actions taken; a prompt or permission change alone does not establish what the code executed.