Adding a signature in Outlook Office 365

A signature in Outlook Office 365 is a block of text, contact details, or formatted content that appears automatically at the bottom of every email you send. You set it once in your account settings, and Outlook adds it to each new message without you typing it again. This saves time and presents a consistent professional appearance across all your outgoing mail.

The signature lives in your account settings, not in individual emails. Once you create it, Outlook inserts it into new messages you compose, replies you send, and forwards you create — though you can delete it from any single email if you need to.

Key Takeaways

  • Signatures are created in Outlook settings under Mail > Compose and Reply, not in the email editor itself.
  • You can create multiple signatures and choose which one Outlook uses for new messages versus replies.
  • Outlook adds your signature automatically to every new email and reply, but you can remove it from individual messages if needed.
  • Signatures can include text, your name, job title, phone number, and links, but not images or logos in the web version of Outlook.
  • Changes to your signature take effect when ready on new messages, but do not change signatures already sent.

Where to find signature settings in Outlook Office 365

Open Outlook in your web browser and go to the Settings gear icon in the top right corner of the screen. Click View all Outlook settings. From the left menu, select Mail, then Compose and Reply. This is where all signature options live.

If you are using the Outlook desktop process on Windows or Mac, the path is slightly different. Open Outlook, go to File > Options (Windows) or Outlook > Preferences (Mac), then find Mail > Signatures. The desktop version offers more formatting options than the web version.

Creating your first signature

In the Compose and Reply settings, you will see a section called Email signature. Click in the text box under New messages and type or paste the content you want to appear at the bottom of your emails. This might be your name, job title, phone number, email address, company name, or a combination of these.

Keep your signature brief — three to five lines is standard. Longer signatures can look unprofessional and take up space in email threads. Type exactly what you want to appear; Outlook will not auto-format it for you in the web version.

After you finish typing, scroll down and click Save. Your signature is now active and will appear on all new emails you send from this account.

Setting different signatures for new messages and replies

Outlook lets you use one signature for brand-new emails and a different one for replies and forwards. This is useful if you want a full signature with contact details on new messages but a shorter version on replies to keep email threads from getting cluttered.

In the Compose and Reply settings, you will see two separate boxes: one for New messages and one for Replies and forwards. Fill in the box for new messages with your full signature. Then click in the Replies and forwards box and enter a shorter version — often just your name or initials.

If you want no signature on replies at all, leave the Replies and forwards box empty. Click Save when you are done.

Creating multiple signatures for different purposes

If you manage multiple email addresses or need different signatures for different types of messages, you can create more than one. In the Compose and Reply settings, look for the option to Create new signature or Add signature (the exact wording depends on whether you are using the web or desktop version).

Give each signature a descriptive name — for example, "Professional" or "Sales Team" — so you can tell them apart. Type the content for that signature in the text box. You can create as many as you need.

Once you have multiple signatures, you can choose which one Outlook uses by default for new messages. When you compose a new email, you can also change the signature for that message alone by clicking the signature dropdown in the compose window.

Removing or editing your signature

To change your signature, go back to Mail > Compose and Reply in settings, click in the signature box, and edit the text. Delete what you do not want and type what you do. Click Save. The new version takes effect when ready on all future emails.

To remove your signature entirely, delete all the text in the signature box and click Save. Outlook will stop adding it to new messages. If you have multiple signatures and want to delete one, select it by name and look for a Delete or trash icon next to it.

Removing or editing your signature does not change signatures that are already in sent emails. Those messages keep the signature they had when you sent them.

Signature limitations in Outlook Office 365 web version

The web version of Outlook has fewer formatting options than the desktop process. You can type plain text, but you cannot insert images, logos, or colored text directly in the web signature editor. If you need a formatted signature with a company logo, use the Outlook desktop process instead, which has a full formatting toolbar.

The web version also does not support HTML code in the signature box, so you cannot paste pre-formatted HTML signatures from other sources. If you paste HTML, it will appear as plain text rather than rendering as formatted content.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add a signature to emails I have already sent?

No. Signatures are added only to new emails you compose and send. Once an email is in your Sent folder, you cannot change its signature. If you need to update a signature on an old email, you would have to forward it with your new signature.

Why is my signature not appearing on my emails?

Check that you saved your signature settings — click Save at the bottom of the Compose and Reply page. Also confirm you are composing a new message, not replying to one, if you set different signatures for each. If you are using the desktop app, restart Outlook after creating the signature.

Can I use the same signature on multiple email accounts?

If you have multiple accounts in Outlook, each account has its own signature settings. You will need to create the signature separately for each account. Type the same content in each account's signature box if you want them to match.

How do I remove a signature from a single email without removing it from all emails?

Compose your email normally. Before you send, click at the bottom of the message where your signature appears and select all the signature text. Delete it. That email will send without a signature, but future emails will still have it automatically added.

Can I add a hyperlink or phone number that people can click in my signature?

In the desktop version of Outlook, you can highlight text and add a hyperlink through the formatting toolbar. In the web version, you can type a URL or phone number as plain text, but it may not be clickable. For clickable links, use the desktop process or create your signature there and sync it to the web version.