Free Tool · 100% Client-Side

XLSM Macro Inspector

Drop any Excel file to instantly see which VBA modules it contains — before you convert it and lose them forever.

File never leaves your browser No account required Works with XLSM · XLSX · XLSB Instant results

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Drop your Excel file here

or click to browse

XLSM · XLSX · XLSB · XLS

Analysing file structure…

✅

Macros detected

Analysis complete

VBA Modules

—

File Format

High

Conversion Risk

How the Macro Inspector works

100% client-side analysis using the Web File API — no servers, no uploads.

You drop an Excel file

The browser reads the file locally using the JavaScript File API. Nothing is transmitted over the network.

We unzip the OOXML container

Modern Excel files (XLSM, XLSX, XLSB) are ZIP archives. JSZip reads the internal file list without sending it anywhere.

We look for vbaProject.bin

VBA macros are stored in a file called xl/vbaProject.bin inside the ZIP. Its presence — and its internal module table — tells us exactly what macros exist.

Results shown instantly

Module names, types (standard module, class, sheet, workbook), and conversion risk level appear in seconds.

Why inspect before converting?

Most online converters strip VBA macros silently — no warning, no error message. You only discover the loss after the conversion is "complete." By running the Macro Inspector first, you:

Create a record of exactly which modules existed, so you can verify they survived

Know the risk level before choosing a conversion tool or method

Catch hidden macros in files received from colleagues — before you unknowingly strip them

Pick the right target format — converting to XLSX when you needed XLSM is a common and expensive mistake

Already know you have macros to protect?

The Macro-Safe Converter Kit walks you through the complete conversion workflow — including batch processing, format decision tree, and post-conversion macro validation checklist.

Get the Kit — $9 one-time

One-time · Instant download · 30-day guarantee

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this tool upload my Excel file to a server?

No. The Macro Inspector runs entirely in your browser using the JavaScript File API and JSZip. Your file is never sent to any server. This is especially important for confidential financial or business Excel files — they stay on your machine at all times.

Which Excel formats does the Macro Inspector support?

The inspector works best with XLSM (the primary macro-enabled format). It also works with XLSX (checks if a vbaProject.bin is unexpectedly present), and XLSB (binary format — macro presence is detected though module names may not always be fully readable). XLS (legacy binary format) support is limited to header-level detection.

Why do I need to know which macros are in my file before converting?

Most online converters silently strip all VBA macros without any warning. By running the inspector first, you create a record of exactly which modules existed — so you can verify they survived after conversion, or recover them from the original file if they were destroyed. It takes 5 seconds and could save hours of rebuild work.

What does "conversion risk" mean in the results?

Conversion risk describes how likely standard conversion tools are to destroy your macros. High risk means the file contains VBA modules that will be stripped by most online converters and cloud tools. Low risk means no macros were detected. The Macro-Safe Converter Kit includes a tool-specific risk matrix so you know exactly which converters are safe for your use case.

The inspector says my XLSX file has macros. How is that possible?

Although the OOXML standard prohibits VBA in XLSX files, Microsoft Excel sometimes saves a ghost vbaProject.bin in XLSX when the original was an XLSM. These "shadow macros" are technically present in the ZIP but are not executed. This is a known Excel quirk — if you want to preserve them, convert to XLSM instead of XLSX.