Where to find and edit your signature

Your email signature in Outlook lives in the settings menu, not in the message itself. Open Outlook on your computer, then go to File in the top left corner. From there, select Options, then Mail in the left sidebar. Look for Signatures near the bottom of that panel — click it to open the signature editor.

You will see a list of any signatures you have already created. To change an existing one, click its name and edit the text in the box below. To create a brand new signature, click New, give it a name (like "Work" or "Personal"), and type or paste your signature text into the editing area.

The signature editor lets you format text the way you would in an email — bold, italics, font size, color, and alignment all work here. You can also insert a hyperlink, image, or your contact details using the buttons in the toolbar. When you are done, click OK to save.

Key Takeaways

  • Signatures are stored in File > Options > Mail > Signatures, not in individual emails.
  • You can create multiple signatures and choose which one to use for each message or set a default.
  • Outlook lets you format your signature with bold, italics, colors, links, and images just like email text.
  • If you use multiple email accounts in Outlook, you can assign different signatures to each account.
  • Changes to a signature take effect when ready for new messages but do not alter emails you have already sent.

Setting a default signature for new messages

Once you have created a signature, you can set it to appear automatically on every new email. In the same Signatures window, look for the section labeled Choose default signature. There are two dropdown menus here — one for new messages and one for replies and forwards.

Click the dropdown under New messages and select the signature you want to use by default. If you want a different signature for replies (for example, a shorter version without your full contact details), set that in the second dropdown. If you leave either dropdown set to (none), you will have to manually add a signature each time you compose a message.

This setting applies to whichever email account is currently selected. If you have multiple accounts in Outlook, you can set a different default signature for each one by switching accounts in the Email account dropdown at the top of the Signatures window.

Using different signatures for different accounts

If you have more than one email account set up in Outlook — for example, a work account and a personal account — you can assign a unique signature to each. At the top of the Signatures window, you will see a dropdown labeled Email account. Click it and select the first account you want to configure.

Create or select the signature you want for that account, set it as the default for new messages, then switch to the next account in the dropdown and repeat. Each account remembers its own default signature, so when you compose a new message from your work account, your work signature will appear automatically — and your personal signature will appear when you compose from your personal account.

This is especially useful if you manage both professional and personal email from the same Outlook window. You do not have to remember to switch signatures manually; Outlook handles it based on which account you are sending from.

Adding images and links to your signature

Outlook's signature editor supports more than just text. To add an image — like a company logo — click the Insert menu in the signature editor toolbar and select Image. Choose the file from your computer. The image will appear in your signature and will be included in every email you send with that signature.

To add a clickable link, highlight the text you want to turn into a link, then click the Hyperlink button in the toolbar (it looks like a chain link). Type or paste the web address in the dialog box that appears. When someone receives your email, they will be able to click that text to visit the link.

Keep in mind that images and links increase the file size of every email you send, so use them sparingly. A straightforward text signature with a link to your website is usually better than embedding large images. If you do use an image, make sure it is not too large — a logo or small graphic is fine, but a full-size photo will slow down email delivery.

Removing or renaming a signature

To delete a signature you no longer need, open the Signatures window, click the signature name in the list, and click the Delete button. Outlook will ask you to confirm — click Yes. Any emails you have already sent with that signature will not change, but new messages will no longer use it.

To rename a signature without losing it, click its name in the list and click Rename. Type the new name and press Enter. This is useful if you want to reorganize your signatures — for example, changing "Sig1" to something more descriptive like "Formal" or "Quick Reply".

If you remove a signature that was set as your default, Outlook will switch the default to (none). You will need to choose a new default signature in the dropdown, or you will have to add a signature manually to each new message.

Troubleshooting signature problems

If your signature is not appearing on new messages, check that it is actually set as the default. Open File > Options > Mail > Signatures and look at the New messages dropdown. If it says (none), click it and select your signature. Click OK to save.

If you changed your signature but the old version is still showing up, make sure you clicked OK at the bottom of the Signatures window to save your changes. Closing the window without clicking OK will discard any edits you made. Also check that you are editing the correct signature — if you have multiple signatures, it is straightforward to accidentally edit the wrong one.

If your signature looks different in the email than it did in the editor — for example, formatting is missing or images are not showing — the recipient's email program may not support that formatting. Plain text signatures (without colors, images, or special fonts) work on almost all email systems, so if you are having trouble, try simplifying your signature to text only.

Signature behavior across Outlook versions

The steps above explore to Outlook for Windows (desktop version). If you use Outlook on the web through your browser, the signature settings are in a different location: click the gear icon in the top right, select View all Outlook settings, then go to Mail > Compose and reply. You will find the signature editor there.

Outlook for Mac has a similar process but with slightly different menu names. Go to Outlook > Preferences, then Signatures. The functionality is the same — you create, edit, and set default signatures the same way.

If you sync your Outlook account across multiple devices, your signatures will not automatically sync between them. A signature you create on your Windows desktop will not appear on your Mac or in Outlook on the web. You will need to create the signature separately on each device if you want it everywhere.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I have different signatures for different folders or contacts?

Outlook does not let you assign a signature based on the folder you are sending from or the person you are emailing. You can only set a default signature per account and per message type (new messages versus replies). If you need different signatures for different purposes, create multiple signatures and manually select the right one when you compose each message.

Will my signature appear on emails I send from my phone?

Outlook on mobile devices (iPhone, Android) does not use the signatures you set up in the desktop version. Most mobile versions of Outlook add a straightforward default signature like "Sent from Outlook for iOS" automatically. If you want a custom signature on mobile, you may need to add it manually to each message or check your email app's settings for a mobile signature option.

What happens to my signature if I change my password?

Changing your Outlook password does not affect your signatures. They are stored separately and will continue to work exactly as before. You do not need to recreate or update them after a password change.

Can I use HTML code in my signature?

Outlook's signature editor does not let you directly type HTML code. However, if you create a signature in HTML elsewhere and paste it in, Outlook will usually preserve the formatting. For most users, using the built-in formatting buttons (bold, color, links, images) is simpler and more reliable than trying to paste HTML.

Why is my signature showing up in the middle of my email instead of at the bottom?

This usually happens when you are replying to a message. Outlook inserts your signature above the quoted text by default in replies. If you want it at the very bottom, you can manually cut and paste it after the quoted message, or check your Mail settings to see if there is an option to change where signatures appear in replies.