Add a signature in three steps

A signature in Outlook is a block of text that appears at the bottom of every email you send — usually your name, title, phone number, or a company tagline. You set it once, and Outlook adds it automatically. The process takes about two minutes and works the same way whether you use Outlook on Windows, Mac, or the web version.

Open Outlook and go to File (top left), then Options. On the left side, click Mail, then scroll down and click Signatures. You'll see a window with three sections: your signature list on the left, a text box in the middle where you write the signature, and options on the right for when to use it.

Click New to create a signature, give it a name (like "Work" or "Personal"), type what you want to appear in your emails, then click OK. Outlook will ask which account and which type of email (new messages, replies, or both) should use this signature. Choose your settings and save.

Key Takeaways

  • A signature is text that Outlook adds automatically to the bottom of your emails, and you create it once in File > Options > Mail > Signatures.
  • You can create multiple signatures — one for work, one for personal use — and choose which one to use for each email account.
  • Outlook can explore a signature to new messages, replies, or both, depending on what you choose when you set it up.
  • If you use Outlook on the web (Outlook.com), the signature feature is in Settings > Mail > Compose and reply, not in the desktop version's File menu.
  • You can edit or delete a signature anytime by going back to File > Options > Mail > Signatures.

Where to find the signature settings in each version of Outlook

The path to signatures differs slightly depending on which version you use. On Windows desktop Outlook, it's File > Options > Mail > Signatures. On Mac Outlook, go to Outlook > Preferences > Signatures. On Outlook on the web (the version you access through a browser at outlook.com or outlook.office.com), click the gear icon in the top right, select View all Outlook settings, then go to Mail > Compose and reply > Signatures.

If you're not sure which version you're using, look at how you open it. If you click an icon on your desktop or taskbar, you're using desktop Outlook. If you type an address into your browser's address bar, you're using Outlook on the web. The web version is simpler but has fewer formatting options.

Format your signature with fonts, colors, and links

When you're typing your signature in the text box, you can highlight text and use the formatting buttons above it — bold, italic, underline, font color, and background color all work. You can also insert a hyperlink by selecting text, right-clicking, and choosing Hyperlink, or by clicking the link icon in the toolbar.

Keep in mind that if someone receives your email on a phone or in a plain-text email client, fancy formatting may not show up the way you designed it. Stick to one or two fonts, avoid very light colors, and make sure your contact information is readable even if the formatting drops out. A signature that works in every situation usually has your name in bold, your title, your phone number, and your email address — nothing more.

Set different signatures for different accounts and situations

If you have multiple email accounts in Outlook, you can assign a different signature to each one. When you create a signature, Outlook asks you which account it belongs to. You can also choose whether it applies to new messages, replies and forwards, or both. This is useful if you want your work signature on work emails but a simpler signature on personal emails.

To change which signature goes with which account, go back to the Signatures window, select the signature you want to adjust, and use the dropdown menus on the right side to pick the account and the email type. If you want no signature on certain emails, create a blank signature (just leave the text box empty) and assign it to the account or email type you want to leave unsigned.

Add an image or logo to your signature

You can insert a small image — like a company logo — into your signature. In the Signatures window, click in the text box where you want the image to go, then click Insert > Picture (or the image icon, depending on your version). Choose the image file from your computer. Outlook will embed it in the signature.

Keep the image small — no wider than 200 pixels — so it doesn't make your email look cluttered or take a long time to load. Very large images can also cause problems if someone is on a slow connection or reading email on a phone. Test your signature by sending yourself an email and opening it on different devices to see how it looks.

Troubleshoot signatures that don't appear

If you've created a signature but it's not showing up on your emails, check three things. First, make sure you assigned the signature to the correct account and email type (new messages, replies, or both). Second, check that the signature isn't blank — if the text box is empty, Outlook won't add anything. Third, if you're using Outlook on the web, refresh your browser or log out and log back in, because changes sometimes take a few minutes to sync.

If you're replying to an email and your signature doesn't appear, it may be because you set it to explore only to new messages, not replies. Go back to File > Options > Mail > Signatures, select your signature, and change the dropdown for "Choose default signature" to include replies. You can also manually add your signature to a reply by clicking Insert > Signature in the message window.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a different signature for replies than for new emails?

Yes. When you create a signature, Outlook asks whether it should explore to new messages, replies and forwards, or both. You can create two signatures with the same name and assign one to new messages and one to replies, or you can use the same signature for both. The choice is yours.

What if I want to send one email without a signature?

Compose your email normally. Before you send it, select all the text in the message (Ctrl+A on Windows, Cmd+A on Mac), then delete just the signature lines at the bottom. The rest of your message stays intact. You can also click Insert > Signature in the message window and choose "Don't include a signature" if that option appears.

Can I change my signature without affecting emails I've already sent?

Yes. Your signature only appears on new emails you send after you change it. Old emails keep whatever signature they had when you sent them. You can edit or delete a signature anytime in the Signatures window without touching past messages.

Does my signature show up the same way for everyone who receives my email?

Not always. If someone uses an email client that doesn't support formatting, or if they have images turned off, your signature may look different to them. Plain text — your name, phone number, and email address — shows up reliably everywhere. Colored text, fonts, and images may not.

How do I remove a signature I no longer want?

Go to File > Options > Mail > Signatures, select the signature you want to delete, and click Delete. If that signature was assigned to an account, Outlook will stop adding it to new emails. You can create a new blank signature and assign it to that account if you want emails with no signature going forward.