Quick Start

Your First Aura in 5 Minutes

This guide will walk you through creating a simple but useful aura: a visual indicator that shows when your health drops below 30%.

Before starting, make sure you’ve installed WeakAuras and can access the configuration window with /wa

Opening the Interface

There are two ways to open WeakAuras:

Slash Command
Minimap Icon

Type in chat:

/wa

/weakauras

Creating Your First Aura

Open the New Aura Dialog

Click the New button in the top-left of the WeakAuras window.

Choose Display Type

Select Icon as the display type.Why Icon? Icons are perfect for visual alerts - they’re clear, customizable, and performance-friendly.

Other options include Progress Bar, Text, Texture, and Group. We’ll explore these later!

Name Your Aura

Enter a descriptive name: Low Health Warning

Good naming helps you organize auras later, especially when you have dozens!

Click Done

Your new aura is created! You’ll see a default icon appear on screen.

Configuring the Trigger

Now let’s make the aura show only when your health is low:

Navigate to the Trigger Tab

With your aura selected, click the Trigger tab at the top.

Select Trigger Type

Type: Status
Sub-type: Health

This tells WeakAuras to monitor your health value.

Configure Unit

Unit: Player

This means we’re tracking your health, not someone else’s.

Set Health Condition

Health: Percent
Operator: <= (less than or equal)
Value: 30

This makes the aura trigger when your health is at or below 30%.

Trigger Logic

if (UnitHealth("player") / UnitHealthMax("player")) * 100 <= 30 then
  -- Show the aura
end

To test immediately, damage yourself by jumping off something or finding a low-level mob!

Customizing the Display

Let’s make the warning more visually obvious:

Open the Display Tab

Click the Display tab.

Choose a Texture

Under Icon, click Choose to select a texture.Recommended: Select the red warning icon or skull texture.

You can use any texture file, spell icon, or item icon. The texture picker shows all available options.

Set Color

Click the Color swatch and choose bright red (RGB: 255, 0, 0).

Color overlays multiply with the texture. White (255,255,255) shows the original texture colors.

Adjust Size

Width: 64
Height: 64

This creates a nice, visible icon without being too intrusive.

Position the Icon

Drag the icon to a central location where you’ll notice it easily - many players prefer just below their character.Or use precise positioning:

X Offset: 0
Y Offset: -150

This centers it horizontally and places it below center screen.

Adding Animation

Make the warning impossible to miss:

Open Animations Tab

Click the Animations tab.

Configure Main Animation

The Main animation plays while the aura is active.

Type: Pulse
Duration: 1 second
Infinite: ✓ (checked)

This creates a pulsing effect that draws attention.

Optional: Add Start Animation

The Start animation plays when the trigger first activates.

Type: Zoom In
Duration: 0.5 seconds

This makes the icon dramatically appear when you first drop below 30% health.

Testing Your Aura

Close WeakAuras
Damage Yourself
Heal Up

Click Done or press ESC to close the configuration window.

Success! You’ve created a functional WeakAura!

Importing Community Auras

Why reinvent the wheel? The WeakAuras community has created thousands of auras you can import instantly.

Visit Wago.io

Go to wago.io and search for WotLK 3.3.5 auras.

Filter by class, spec, or purpose (PvP, PvE, leveling)

Copy Import String

Find an aura you like and click Copy Import String.The string looks like: !WA:2!... (very long encoded text)

Import in WeakAuras

Open WeakAuras (/wa)
Click Import (or New → Import)
Paste the string (Ctrl+V)
Click Import

Position and Configure

The imported aura appears on screen. Drag it to your preferred position and adjust settings as needed.

Always import auras from trusted sources. While WeakAuras is sandboxed for security, be cautious with custom code from unknown authors.

Popular Aura Types to Try

Now that you understand the basics, try creating these common aura types:

Cooldown Tracker

Trigger: Spell CooldownDisplay: Icon with cooldown sweepUse: Track important ability cooldowns

Example

Trigger Type: Cooldown
Spell Name: Icebound Fortitude
Show: On Cooldown

Buff Monitor

Trigger: Aura (Buff)Display: Icon or progress barUse: Track important buffs and their duration

Example

Trigger Type: Aura
Unit: Player
Buff Name: Bloodlust
Show: When Active

Proc Alert

Trigger: Aura (Buff)Display: Large icon with animationUse: Never miss important procs

Example

Trigger Type: Aura
Unit: Player
Buff Name: Hot Streak
Animation: Bounce + Glow

Resource Bar

Trigger: Status (Power)Display: Progress barUse: Track mana, rage, energy, runes

Example

Trigger Type: Status
Status: Power
Unit: Player
Power Type: Rage

Using Templates

WeakAuras includes built-in templates for common scenarios:

Open Templates

Click New → From Template

Browse Categories

Templates are organized by:

Class (Death Knight, Druid, Hunter, etc.)
General (cooldowns, resources)
PvP
Encounters

Select and Import

Choose a template and click Import. It’s pre-configured and ready to use!

Templates are excellent learning tools. Import one, then examine its configuration to understand how it works.

Essential Tips for Beginners

Organization

Create Groups to organize related auras
Use descriptive names
Prefix names by category: [CD] Icebound Fortitude, [Buff] Battle Shout

Right-click an aura to quickly move it into a group

Performance

Use Load Conditions to only load auras when needed
Avoid full screen auras unless necessary
Test performance with /wa pstart and /wa pstop

Load Condition Example

Player Class: Death Knight
In Combat: Yes
Zone: Icecrown Citadel

Backup Your Auras

Your auras are saved in:

WTF\Account\[AccountName]\SavedVariables\WeakAuras.lua

Back this file up regularly!Or export important auras:

Select aura in /wa
Click Export
Copy the string to a text file

Copy & Modify

Don’t start from scratch every time:

Right-click an existing aura
Select Duplicate
Modify the copy

This is faster than creating new auras and maintains consistent styling.

Learn from Others

Import auras you like and study their configuration:

What triggers do they use?
How are animations configured?
What custom code is included?

This is the fastest way to learn advanced techniques!

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Wrong Unit Selection: Make sure you’re tracking the correct unit (player, target, focus, etc.)

Inverted Conditions: If an aura won’t show, check if your condition is backwards (< instead of >, etc.)

Overlapping Auras: Multiple auras in the same position can cause confusion. Use groups for organized layouts.

No Load Conditions: Auras that always load waste resources. Add load conditions for class, spec, or zone.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Speed up your workflow:

Shortcut	Action
`/wa`	Open WeakAuras
Ctrl+C	Copy selected aura
Ctrl+V	Paste aura
Delete	Delete selected aura
Ctrl+Z	Undo last change
Shift+Drag	Precise positioning (1 pixel)
Alt+Drag	Copy while dragging

Testing Your Auras

Before taking auras into real content:

Test in Safe Environment

Use training dummies, low-level mobs, or duels to test triggers

Check Performance

/wa pstart  # Start profiling
# Play for a few minutes
/wa pstop   # Stop and display results

This shows which auras use the most CPU.

Verify Load Conditions

Use /reload after changing specs, zones, or equipment to ensure load conditions work correctly.

Next Steps

You’ve mastered the basics! Here’s where to go next:

Core Concepts

Deep dive into displays, triggers, and groups

Client Extensions

Unlock advanced features and improve performance

Display Types

Learn about all display types in detail

Lua Scripting

Create custom triggers and actions with Lua

Getting Help

Stuck? The community is here to help:

Discord

Real-time help from the community

Wiki

Comprehensive documentation

GitHub Issues

Report bugs or request features

When asking for help, always mention you’re using WotLK 3.3.5a and provide your WeakAuras version (shown in /wa)

Practice Challenge

Reinforce your learning by creating these three auras:

Challenge 1: Low Mana Warning

Create an aura that warns when your mana drops below 20%.Hints:

Trigger: Status → Power
Unit: Player
Power Type: Mana
Condition: <= 20%
Display: Blue colored icon

Challenge 2: Heroism/Bloodlust Timer

Track the Heroism/Bloodlust buff with a countdown.Hints:

Trigger: Aura → Buff
Buff names: “Heroism” or “Bloodlust”
Display: Progress bar showing duration
Add text showing seconds remaining

Challenge 3: Multi-target DoT Tracker

Track your DoT on multiple enemies (Advanced).Hints:

Create a Dynamic Group
Trigger: Aura → Debuff on Unit
Unit: Multi-target
Your DoT spell name
Shows one icon per affected target

Once you’ve completed these challenges, you’re ready to create auras for any situation!

Overview

Setup

Your First Aura in 5 Minutes

Opening the Interface

Creating Your First Aura

Configuring the Trigger

Customizing the Display

Adding Animation

Testing Your Aura

Importing Community Auras

Popular Aura Types to Try

Cooldown Tracker

Buff Monitor

Proc Alert

Resource Bar

Using Templates

Essential Tips for Beginners

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Keyboard Shortcuts

Testing Your Auras

Next Steps

Core Concepts

Client Extensions

Display Types

Lua Scripting

Getting Help

Discord

Wiki

GitHub Issues

Practice Challenge

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Overview

Setup

​Your First Aura in 5 Minutes

​Opening the Interface

​Creating Your First Aura

​Configuring the Trigger

​Customizing the Display

​Adding Animation

​Testing Your Aura

​Importing Community Auras

​Popular Aura Types to Try

Cooldown Tracker

Buff Monitor

Proc Alert

Resource Bar

​Using Templates

​Essential Tips for Beginners

​Common Mistakes to Avoid

​Keyboard Shortcuts

​Testing Your Auras

​Next Steps

Core Concepts

Client Extensions

Display Types

Lua Scripting

​Getting Help

Discord

Wiki

GitHub Issues

​Practice Challenge

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Your First Aura in 5 Minutes

Opening the Interface

Creating Your First Aura

Configuring the Trigger

Customizing the Display

Adding Animation

Testing Your Aura

Importing Community Auras

Popular Aura Types to Try

Using Templates

Essential Tips for Beginners

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Keyboard Shortcuts

Testing Your Auras

Next Steps

Getting Help

Practice Challenge