Enable GUI Script Recording – SAP

Enable GUI Script Recording - SAP

πŸ“Ž This article includes 1 downloadable practice file ↓

⏱ 3 min readUpdated 13 October 2026

Enable GUI Script Recording – SAP

This document describes how you can turn on GUIΒ Script Recording.Β To use GUI Script Recording with Winshuttle Transaction, the scripting parameter must be set in RZ11 and GUI scripting must be enabled in the SAP GUI. Typically, Basis has to enable the parameter setting and users will have to enable scripting in their SAP GUI.

In this article
  1. Enable scripting in SAPΒ GUI
  2. Before you start: who controls scripting
  3. Recording your first script
  4. When scripting is disabled for you
  5. Continue learning

Enable the RZ11 parameter

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  1. In SAP GUI, start transaction RZ11.

Enable GUI Script Recording - SAP 1

  1. UnderΒ Param. Name, enterΒ sapgui/user_scripting.

    enter parameter name

  2. Click Change Value.

    Enable GUI Script Recording - SAP 2

  3. In theΒ New valueΒ box, enterΒ TRUE, and then click theΒ SaveΒ button.

    type true click save

    Scripting is enabled.

Enable scripting in SAPΒ GUI

  1. ClickΒ Customize Local Layout, and then clickΒ Options.

    customize local layout dropdown menu

  2. ClickΒ Accessibility & Scripting, and then clickΒ Scripting.

    expanded accessibility and scripting section

  3. Check theΒ Enable scriptingΒ box.

    enable scripting checkbox

  4. ClickΒ OK.

Before you start: who controls scripting

SAP GUI Scripting has two switches, and both must be on:

  1. Server side β€” your SAP Basis team controls the profile parameter sapgui/user_scripting. If it is off, the scripting menu items stay greyed out no matter what you do on your PC. Many companies enable it only in development or quality systems, or only for certain users.
  2. Client side β€” on your PC, in SAP Logon: Options β†’ Accessibility & Scripting β†’ Scripting, tick Enable scripting. The two warning boxes (β€œnotify when a script attaches”, β€œnotify when a script opens a connection”) are worth leaving on at first, so you always know when automation is running.

Recording your first script

  1. Log in, then open Customise Local Layout (Alt+F12) β†’ Script Recording and Playback.
  2. Choose where to save the .vbs file, press the red record button, and do the task slowly β€” for example, open SE16N, enter a table, set a filter and export.
  3. Stop recording. Open the .vbs file in Notepad: every click and field entry is now a line of code such as session.findById("wnd[0]/usr/ctxtGD-TAB").text = "MARA".

Those lines can run from Excel VBA with small changes, which is how most SAP-to-Excel automations start β€” see automating an SAP export into Excel.

⚠️ A script does exactly what you recorded, on whatever screen is open. Test in a non-production system, and never automate postings or approvals without your team’s sign-off.

When scripting is disabled for you

That is usually a deliberate security decision. Ask for access to a test system, or use standard exports and saved ALV layouts plus Power Query to reduce manual work without scripting.

πŸ“Ž Practice files for this article

Free to use for learning. Files with macros (.bas) are plain text β€” import them with Alt+F11 β†’ File β†’ Import File, and always test on a copy.

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