How to Install and Configure a Macro in Razer Synapse 3 and 4

Choose the Synapse generation before choosing the file

The macro file and the installed Synapse generation must match. Razer explicitly says that version 3 and version 4 macro files are not interchangeable. Renaming an extension does not convert the internal structure, and repeatedly importing the wrong file cannot repair it.

If you are installing Synapse today, start with version 4 rather than hunting for an unofficial Synapse 3 installer. If an older computer already has a working version 3 environment, do not erase it before recording profiles, bindings, delays, and the exact device model.

Prepare the macro file, mouse, and a safe rollback path

Most installation failures are easier to prevent than to diagnose. Spend a few minutes checking the package and the device before changing any button. This also protects the normal desktop layout if the new binding behaves unexpectedly.

• Confirm the source. Use a file from a supplier you trust, scan the downloaded archive, and reject unexpected executable files when the delivery should contain only configuration data and instructions.
• Extract the package first. Do not browse into a compressed archive from the import dialog. Unpack it into a clearly named folder so the selected file and any included notes remain together.
• Match the Synapse version. Look for a version label in the folder name, readme, or delivery page. A Synapse 3 export cannot be loaded as a Synapse 4 macro.
• Connect the correct device. Use the exact Razer mouse you intend to configure and wait until Synapse finishes detecting it and applying pending component updates.
• Preserve ordinary control. Create a temporary profile and leave at least one normal click path available. A spare mouse is useful when experimenting with primary-button assignments.

How to import a ready-made macro into Razer Synapse 4

Current Synapse 4 builds keep import and export controls beside the macro list. Labels can shift slightly after an update, but the route remains library first, device assignment second.

1. Open the Macro workspace.

   Launch Synapse 4 and select MACRO. If it is unavailable, let the application update, verify device support, and enable the Macro module before continuing.

2. Open the list menu.

   Find the three-dot control beside the macro name or macro dropdown and choose Import. This is different from opening a device profile file.

3. Select the version 4 file.

   Browse to the extracted folder, choose the intended macro, and confirm Open. If the item is rejected, stop and verify its Synapse generation rather than changing its extension.

4. Inspect the imported sequence.

   Open the new list item and review the order of presses, releases, clicks, movement data, and pauses. Check that every key-down action has a corresponding key-up action.

5. Rename it clearly.

   Include the application, purpose, and edition in the name. A descriptive label prevents the wrong sequence from being assigned when several similar items are present.

6. Save before binding.

   Keep the library item intact, then proceed to the mouse page. Importing and assigning are separate operations, so a successful import alone will not change a button.

Run a quick visual comparison with any instructions supplied with the file. The number of events does not have to match a screenshot exactly after software updates, but missing groups, an empty list, or an unexplained continuous loop are reasons to stop and clarify the package.

Legacy route: import into an existing Synapse 3 installation

Synapse 3 is no longer the recommended fresh installation. Razer ended its updates and cloud services on February 3, 2026, but previously installed devices can still be configured locally. Use this route only when version 3 already works on that computer and the macro was made for it.

1. Record the current setup.

   Export important macros, photograph or capture the button map, and note which local profile is active before changing anything.

2. Check the Macro module.

   Open Modules, add Macro if it is absent, restart Synapse 3, and confirm that the device still appears before importing.

3. Use Import from the Macro list.

   Choose the saved Synapse 3 file from the extracted folder. A valid import should produce a named item with visible events in the editor.

4. Review delays and releases.

   Legacy files may have been tuned for another application build or computer. Inspect the sequence rather than assuming that age proves compatibility.

5. Bind through the mouse page.

   Select the desired profile and programmable control, choose Macro, select the imported item and playback behavior, then apply the assignment.

6. Test locally and back up again.

   Prove one cycle in a harmless window. Once the layout works, export the updated macro and keep the backup outside the Synapse program directory.

Assign the imported macro to a mouse button

The library stores sequences; the device profile decides which control launches them. This second half is the step most often missed when an imported macro appears correctly but nothing happens on the mouse.

1. Open the correct mouse.

   Return to the Dashboard and select the exact Razer mouse you are holding, not another connected keyboard or saved device.

2. Choose Customize.

   Open the button layout and select the programmable control you want to change. Side buttons are usually safer for a first test than primary click.

3. Select Macro.

   In the function pane choose MACRO, then find the imported item by the clear name you reviewed earlier.

4. Choose playback.

   Begin with Play Once. It provides a finite, observable run and makes timing errors easier to locate.

5. Save the assignment.

   Press SAVE and verify that the label on the device diagram changes to the selected macro name.

6. Confirm the active profile.

   Check that the profile you edited is actually active, then test the physical button in a controlled application.

Avoid remapping the left mouse button during the first test. If a special workflow genuinely requires it, preserve ordinary left click on another reachable control first and keep a second input device available so you can undo the change.

Select playback and delays without creating an uncontrollable loop

A correct file can still feel broken when its playback rule does not match the intended action. Decide exactly when the sequence starts, when it ends, and what releases or stops it before increasing repeat counts.

Do not automatically remove every delay. Applications need time to receive and process events, and a sequence recorded on one machine may require slightly different pauses on another. Adjust the smallest problematic interval, then retest one cycle instead of changing the whole timeline at once.

Keep assignments inside clear profiles and export a working backup

Create one profile for each real context and name it after the application and purpose. Link it to the actual executable only after manual testing succeeds. Launchers, updaters, and helper processes can trigger the wrong profile if they are selected instead of the main program.

Maintain a neutral desktop profile with ordinary button behavior and no automated playback. After the configured application closes, confirm that Synapse returns to this fallback. A neutral profile prevents a specialized side-button or loop from following you into normal Windows use.

If you also need to record or edit a sequence rather than only install one, continue with the EasyMacro guide to creating, tuning, and troubleshooting Razer macros, which covers event editing, Linked Games, migration, and profile design in more depth.

Why the Razer macro does not work after import

Diagnose one layer at a time: file, library, assignment, profile, and target application. Changing all five at once hides the real cause and makes a successful correction impossible to reproduce.

For screenshots and the companion product-specific route, compare the localized TopMacro Synapse 3/4 installation guide.

Use macros only where the rules allow them

Razer Synapse is official device software, but a sequence created or imported through it is not automatically permitted in every game. Publishers, servers, leagues, and tournaments can restrict multi-action input, repetition, recoil compensation, unattended operation, or any behavior that changes a competitive task.

Read the current rules for the exact game and mode before enabling a macro. Prefer clearly acceptable contexts such as desktop productivity, accessibility, creative software, and offline testing. A seller, file author, or hardware vendor cannot promise zero enforcement risk for future behavior.

Keep a normal profile, begin with one finite cycle, and remain able to stop the sequence immediately. Responsible configuration is not only about making the file run; it is also about choosing an allowed context and retaining control.