Auto-Targeting System in WoW

World of Warcraft's auto-targeting is a set of options that choose a target for you instead of making you click or press Tab. In retail it is called soft targeting and arrived with Dragonflight (patch 10.0, October 2022): the main switch is Enable Action Targeting in Options > Gameplay > Combat, which sends an ability you use with no target to the enemy you are facing. Classic clients rely on the older tools: Tab targeting and macros.

The retail options

Option	Where	What it does
Enable Action Targeting	Options > Gameplay > Combat	When you have no target, abilities go to the enemy you are facing. If you already have a target, nothing changes, and Tab works as usual
Enable Interact Key	Options > Gameplay > Controls	Highlights the nearest NPC or object in front of you; the Interact key (F by default) talks to, loots or uses it
Soft target for friends	Console variable only	Lets healing spells pick the friendly player you face; off by default

Behind the menu options sit console variables (CVars) that players adjust for finer control: SoftTargetEnemy, SoftTargetFriend and SoftTargetInteract switch each kind of soft target, SoftTargetEnemyRange and SoftTargetInteractRange set how far they reach, and the SoftTargetIcon… and SoftTargetNameplate… variables control the icons and nameplates that mark the soft target. The Interact range is 10 yards by default.

These options suit action-camera and gamepad play, where clicking enemies is awkward, but keyboard-and-mouse players use them too, especially for open-world questing.

How to turn auto-targeting off

1. Open Options > Gameplay > Combat and untick Enable Action Targeting.
2. If abilities still pick targets you didn't choose, check the CVars above: setting SoftTargetEnemy to 0 disables enemy soft targeting entirely.
3. If the game keeps dropping your target when you click the ground, look at the deselectOnClick variable: with it off, clicking terrain doesn't clear your target.
4. Check your macros: a line such as /targetenemy [noexists] picks targets on its own.

Tab targeting and macros

Tab (the Target Nearest Enemy keybind) cycles through enemies in front of you. It is the oldest and still the most-used way to pick targets in every version; see tab targeting for how it compares with other games.

Macros add the auto-targeting most players actually use:

• /targetenemy [noexists][dead] before an attack picks a new enemy only when you have none or yours is dead;
• /cast [@mouseover,harm,nodead][] Spell casts on the enemy under your cursor without changing your target;
• /cast [@focus] Spell casts on your focus target.

The automatic switch to a new enemy when yours dies is covered in auto-target switching.

Classic versions

Classic Era, Hardcore and the TBC Anniversary realms run on modern game clients but keep their own interface options. Soft targeting and the Interact key are documented as retail features from patch 10.0; in Classic you normally target with clicks, Tab and macros, and when your target dies you stay without one until you pick the next. That makes target macros more valuable in Classic: one /targetenemy [noexists][dead] line in your main attack macro saves a key press on every kill.

In Classic the risk of automatic targeting is also higher. Packs often contain crowd-controlled enemies, and hitting a sheeped or trapped enemy by accident can wipe a group. Many Classic players prefer full manual control plus raid markers.

Pros and cons

Good for	Risky for
Open-world questing and gathering	Packs with crowd-controlled enemies
Gamepad and action-camera play	PvP, where target choice decides fights
Fast area-damage pulls where any target is fine	Tanks who need to pick up specific enemies
Accessibility (fewer clicks)	Healers, if friendly soft targeting picks the wrong player

Retail's Single-Button Assistant (patch 11.1.7) doesn't change targets either: it only picks which damage ability to use on the target you already have.

FAQ

Why does WoW target enemies by itself?

Enable Action Targeting is on. With no target selected, your ability goes to the enemy you face. Untick it in Options > Gameplay > Combat.

Does Classic WoW have action targeting?

No confirmed equivalent: Classic players target with clicks, Tab and macros.

Is auto-targeting allowed?

Yes. These are Blizzard's own options and standard macro commands. What isn't allowed is software that picks targets and attacks while nobody presses keys.

Related WoW terms

• Targeting, assist & swing timer terms · Interact key for gathering
• Target lock in the general gaming terms