Executing a macro can sometimes produce unexpected results, but we can achieve better consistency if we follow a handful of best practices.

When we execute a macro, Vim blindly repeats the sequence of canned keystrokes.

The golden rule is this: when recording a macro, ensure that every command is repeatable.

Normalize the Cursor Position Before you do anything, make sure your cursor is positioned so that the next command does what you expect, where you expect it.

Strike Your Target with a Repeatable Motion Word-wise motions, such as w, b, e and ge tend to be more flexible than character-wise h and l motions. Don't forget: when recording a macro, using the mouse is verboten.

Abort When a Motion Fails If a motion fails while a macro is executing, then Vim aborts the rest of the macro.

number@a

rather than executing @a ten times. We could prefix it with a count: 10@a.

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