Skip to content Customizing the Excel Ribbon using VBA
Customizing the Excel Ribbon using VBA is a powerful way to enhance your Excel application’s functionality and streamline your work. With the Excel Ribbon, you can create custom tabs, groups, and buttons that execute specific VBA macros, making your workflow more efficient. In this tutorial, we’ll explore how to customize the Excel Ribbon through VBA.
Adding a Custom Tab to the Excel Ribbon
Suppose you want to create a custom tab called “MyTab” with a group “MyGroup” and a button “MyButton” that runs a VBA macro. Here’s how to do it
Sub CustomizeRibbon()
' Define custom UI XML code
Dim customUI As String
customUI = "<customUI xmlns='http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2009/07/customui'>" & _
" <ribbon startFromScratch='false'>" & _
" <tabs>" & _
" <tab id='MyTab' label='My Tab'>" & _
" <group id='MyGroup' label='My Group'>" & _
" <button id='MyButton' label='My Button' size='large' onAction='RunMacro' imageMso='HappyFace' />" & _
" </group>" & _
" </tab>" & _
" </tabs>" & _
" </ribbon>" & _
"</customUI>"
' Load the custom UI into the Excel Ribbon
Application.CustomUIs.Add "MyCustomUI", customUI
End Sub
In this code:
- We define a custom XML string that describes the Ribbon customization.
- We create a new custom UI named “MyCustomUI” using the defined XML.
- The button with the id “MyButton” is set to execute the “RunMacro” when clicked. You can replace “RunMacro” with the name of your VBA macro.
- We use the “imageMso” attribute to specify an icon for the button. You can replace it with an icon’s ID or use your own custom image.
Executing a VBA Macro with the Custom Button
Next, let’s create a simple VBA macro that the custom button “MyButton” will execute:
Sub RunMacro(control As IRibbonControl)
' This macro runs when the custom button is clicked
MsgBox "You clicked My Button!"
End Sub
In this code, the RunMacro subroutine displays a message box when the custom button is clicked.
Adding the Custom UI to Excel
Before you can see the custom tab in your Excel Ribbon, you need to add the Custom UI:
Sub AddCustomUI()
' Add the custom UI to Excel
Application.CommandBars("Worksheet Menu Bar").Controls("Worksheet Menu Bar").Reset
Application.OnKey "^r", "RunMacro"
Application.DisplayFullScreen = True
Application.CustomUIs.Add "MyCustomUI", ThisWorkbook.Sheets(1)
End Sub
By running the “AddCustomUI” macro, you can apply the Ribbon customization.
Removing the Custom UI
You can remove the custom UI using the following code:
Sub RemoveCustomUI()
' Remove the custom UI from Excel
Application.OnKey "^r"
Application.DisplayFullScreen = False
Application.CustomUIs("MyCustomUI").Delete
End Sub
This allows you to clean up the Ribbon customizations.
Customizing the Excel Ribbon using VBA opens up endless possibilities for tailoring Excel to your specific needs. You can add your own tabs, groups, buttons, and functionality, making your work in Excel more efficient and enjoyable.