Where to find and edit your signature in Outlook

Your signature block lives in Outlook's settings, not in the email itself. On Windows, go to File > Options > Mail > Signatures. On Mac, open Outlook > Preferences > Signatures. You'll see a list of any signatures you've already created, and a button to add a new one or edit an existing one.

When you click into the signature editor, you get a text box where you can type or paste whatever you want to appear at the bottom of your emails. You can format it with bold, italics, font size, and color. You can also insert a hyperlink, an image, or your contact card directly into the signature.

Key Takeaways

  • Signatures are stored in Outlook settings, not in individual emails, so you change them once and they explore to all new messages going forward.
  • You can create multiple signatures and choose which one to use for each email, or set a default signature that appears automatically.
  • The signature editor lets you format text, add links, insert images, and include your contact information in one block.
  • Changes to a signature do not affect emails you've already sent, only new messages you compose after the change.

Creating a new signature from scratch

Click the New button in the Signatures window and give your signature a name — something like "Work" or "Professional" or "Out of Office". The name is only for you to see in the settings; it doesn't appear in your emails.

In the text box below, type or paste the text you want. A typical signature includes your name, job title, company name, phone number, and email address. You can add a line break between your name and your contact details to make it easier to read. If you want to include a logo or image, click the image icon in the toolbar and select the file from your computer.

Once you've entered everything, click OK to save the signature. It's now available to use in any new email you send.

Setting a default signature for new messages

If you want the same signature to appear automatically in every new email you write, you need to set it as your default. In the Signatures window, look for the dropdown that says Choose default signature (or similar wording depending on your Outlook version). Select the signature you want to use by default.

You can also set different default signatures for different email accounts if you have more than one account in Outlook. Some versions let you choose one signature for new messages and a different one for replies and forwards. If you see those options, set them the way you prefer.

Choosing a different signature for a single email

If you have multiple signatures but don't want to use your default for a particular email, you can swap it out. Open a new email, then look for the Signature button or menu in the toolbar. Click it and select the signature you want to use instead. The new signature will replace the default one in that email only.

This is useful if you have a work signature and a personal signature, or if you want to use a special signature for certain types of messages. The change applies only to the current email; your default signature stays the same for future messages.

Adding images, links, and formatting to your signature

The signature editor toolbar includes buttons for bold, italic, underline, font color, and alignment. Use these to make your name stand out or to highlight important information. You can also change the font and font size for the whole signature or for individual lines.

To add a clickable link, select the text you want to turn into a link, then click the hyperlink button. Enter the web address or email address, and Outlook will turn that text into a link. To insert an image, click the image button and browse to the file on your computer. The image will be embedded in the signature itself, so it will appear in every email you send.

Keep in mind that some email clients and phones display images differently, and some people have images turned off by default. If your signature includes an image, make sure the text alone still makes sense if the image doesn't load.

Removing or renaming a signature

To delete a signature you no longer use, open the Signatures window, select the signature from the list, and click Delete. Outlook will ask you to confirm. If that signature was set as your default, Outlook will ask you to choose a new default before it deletes the old one.

To rename a signature, select it from the list and click Rename (or in some versions, you can edit the name directly in the list). This is helpful if you want to reorganize your signatures or make their names clearer — for example, changing "Sig1" to "Client Communications".

Troubleshooting common signature problems

If your signature isn't appearing in new emails, check that you've set a default signature in the dropdown menu. If you have a default set but it's still not showing up, try closing and reopening Outlook. Sometimes the change doesn't take effect until you restart the process.

If your signature appears in replies and forwards when you don't want it to, go back to the Signatures window and uncheck the box that says Add signatures to all outgoing messages (the exact wording varies by version). You can then manually add your signature only to new messages by using the Signature button in the toolbar.

If you're using Outlook on the web instead of the desktop version, the process is slightly different. Log into your email, go to Settings > Mail > Compose and reply, and look for the signature section there. The web version has fewer formatting options but works the same way.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a different signature for each email account?

Yes. If you have multiple email accounts set up in Outlook, you can create separate signatures for each one. In the Signatures window, you'll see a dropdown at the top that lets you choose which account you're setting the signature for. Create or edit the signature for that account, and it will only be used when you send from that email address.

What happens to my signature if I update it?

The new signature appears in all new emails you send after the change. Emails you've already sent keep their original signature — changing a signature doesn't affect past messages. If you want to update a signature that's already in a draft, you'll need to delete the old one and insert the new one manually.

Can I include my photo or company logo in my signature?

Yes. Click the image button in the signature editor and select the file from your computer. The image will be embedded in the signature. Keep file sizes small so your emails don't become too large, and test how the signature looks on different devices and email clients before you set it as your default.

Why isn't my signature showing up in replies and forwards?

By default, Outlook may not add your signature to replies and forwards. In the Signatures window, look for a checkbox that says something like Add signatures to all outgoing messages or Add signatures to replies and forwards. Check that box if you want your signature on every message type.

Can I use HTML code in my signature?

The signature editor doesn't have a raw HTML mode in the standard Outlook interface, but you can use the formatting buttons to achieve most effects. If you need advanced HTML formatting, you can create the signature in HTML elsewhere and paste it in, though Outlook may strip out some code depending on your version and settings.