Your posted code for defining the macro is not correct as the %MACRO statement is wrong.  But perhaps that is just a typo since you also say it works. %macro make_excel(dataset= , output_path = , filname = ); ods excel file = "&output_path.\&filename..xlsx"; proc report data= &dataset.; run; ods excel close; %mend make_excel; You are not referencing the macro variable OUT_TMP properly in your macro call.  You used % instead of &.  The % character is used to reference macros statements (like the %MACRO and %MEND in your code) and actual macro functions (like %SUBSTR() and %SCAN()) in addition to being used to reference macros (like %MAKE_EXCEL in your program). The  & character is used when you need to reference a macro variable (also known as a symbol).  You are using the & properly to reference the macro variables correctly in the body of your macro.   Here is the fixed macro call: %make_excel(dataset=ds, output_path = &out_tmp, filename = YYYYYYY)     ... View more