Enable macro trust levels
Verified with Microsoft 365/Office 5568.1000 — updated on July 10, 2026
Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10
Path in the GPO console
User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Microsoft Office 2016\Security Settings Description
This policy setting controls whether macro trust levels are enabled, which classifies VBA macros into four security levels based on file location and digital signature status. If you enable this policy setting, VBA macros will be classified into the following trust levels with corresponding user experiences: - Lowest (Most Trusted): Files signed by a trusted publisher, saved to a trusted location, or unsaved files. - User Experience: No Message Bar displayed, macros load normally. - Lower: Files opened from a connected personal or business OneDrive account, connected SharePoint location, or local OneDrive folders. - User Experience: Yellow Message Bar with Enable Content option. - Moderate: Files opened from intranet locations, or signed with an extended validation (EV) certificate but not by a trusted publisher. - User Experience: Yellow Message Bar with a Learn More option. This encourages security awareness by requiring additional steps before enabling macros. - Highest (Least Trusted): All other files. - User Experience: Red Message Bar with macros blocked. When enabled, unsaved files containing macros will display a warning dialog when users attempt to save the file to local disk, informing them that saving locally may block macro execution when the file is reopened. If you disable or don't configure this policy setting, macro trust levels are not enabled and the standard macro security behavior applies.
Registry
software\policies\microsoft\office\16.0\common\security Value name: enablemacrotrustlevel
Enabled: enablemacrotrustlevel = 1
Disabled: enablemacrotrustlevel = 0
Export Builder
BETAConfigure the state, scope and options, then generate .reg, PowerShell, Intune and SCCM outputs — or add the setting to a multi-setting collection.
These exports write the registry — this is not a managed GPO. ⓘ
.reg file
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
; Exported from gporais.com
; Policy: Enable macro trust levels
; State: Enabled
; Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\policies\microsoft\office\16.0\common\security]
"enablemacrotrustlevel"=dword:00000001More formats (PowerShell, Intune, SCCM)
PowerShell
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Enable macro trust levels
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10
# Warning: In SYSTEM context (the Intune default), HKCU targets the SYSTEM profile. Run this script using the logged-on credentials.
$path = 'HKCU:\software\policies\microsoft\office\16.0\common\security'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'enablemacrotrustlevel' -Value 1 -Type DWordIntune XML
No direct Policy CSP / OMA-URI mapping for this policy. Use the Intune Remediation tab, or ingest the ADMX in Intune.Intune Remediation
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Enable macro trust levels
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10
# Warning: In SYSTEM context (the Intune default), HKCU targets the SYSTEM profile. Run this script using the logged-on credentials.
function Test-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Name,
[object]$Expected,
[ValidateSet('String', 'DWord', 'MultiString')][string]$Kind = 'String',
[switch]$Absent
)
try {
$item = Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction Stop
} catch {
return $Absent.IsPresent
}
if ($Absent.IsPresent) { return $false }
$actual = $item.$Name
if ($Kind -eq 'DWord') { return ([int64]$actual) -eq ([int64]$Expected) }
if ($Kind -eq 'MultiString') {
$actualValues = @($actual)
$expectedValues = @($Expected)
if ($actualValues.Count -ne $expectedValues.Count) { return $false }
for ($i = 0; $i -lt $expectedValues.Count; $i++) {
if ([string]$actualValues[$i] -ne [string]$expectedValues[$i]) { return $false }
}
return $true
}
return [string]$actual -eq [string]$Expected
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKCU:\software\policies\microsoft\office\16.0\common\security' -Name 'enablemacrotrustlevel' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Enable macro trust levels
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10
# Warning: In SYSTEM context (the Intune default), HKCU targets the SYSTEM profile. Run this script using the logged-on credentials.
$path = 'HKCU:\software\policies\microsoft\office\16.0\common\security'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'enablemacrotrustlevel' -Value 1 -Type DWordSCCM scripts
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Enable macro trust levels
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10
# SCCM Configuration Item guidance:
# Create a Configuration Item of type "Setting: Script".
# Discovery script: use the Detection script below.
# Remediation script: use the Remediation script below.
# Compliance rule: the Discovery script output equals 'Compliant'.
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Enable macro trust levels
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10
# Warning: In SYSTEM context (the Intune default), HKCU targets the SYSTEM profile. Run this script using the logged-on credentials.
function Test-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Name,
[object]$Expected,
[ValidateSet('String', 'DWord', 'MultiString')][string]$Kind = 'String',
[switch]$Absent
)
try {
$item = Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction Stop
} catch {
return $Absent.IsPresent
}
if ($Absent.IsPresent) { return $false }
$actual = $item.$Name
if ($Kind -eq 'DWord') { return ([int64]$actual) -eq ([int64]$Expected) }
if ($Kind -eq 'MultiString') {
$actualValues = @($actual)
$expectedValues = @($Expected)
if ($actualValues.Count -ne $expectedValues.Count) { return $false }
for ($i = 0; $i -lt $expectedValues.Count; $i++) {
if ([string]$actualValues[$i] -ne [string]$expectedValues[$i]) { return $false }
}
return $true
}
return [string]$actual -eq [string]$Expected
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKCU:\software\policies\microsoft\office\16.0\common\security' -Name 'enablemacrotrustlevel' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Enable macro trust levels
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10
# Warning: In SYSTEM context (the Intune default), HKCU targets the SYSTEM profile. Run this script using the logged-on credentials.
$path = 'HKCU:\software\policies\microsoft\office\16.0\common\security'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'enablemacrotrustlevel' -Value 1 -Type DWordBuilding a multi-setting collection? Add this setting and generate combined .reg / PowerShell / GPO scripts.