How To Add A Signature In Outlook [Windows, Mac, Web, Mobile]

An email signature works like a digital business card — your name, title, contact details, and logo appearing automatically at the bottom of every message you send.

Outlook supports signatures across all platforms:

• Outlook for Mac
• Outlook mobile (iOS and Android)
• Classic Outlook (Windows desktop)
• Outlook on the web (browser-based)
• New Outlook (Windows, syncs with web)

The setup process takes about two minutes. You can create multiple signatures (one for new messages, a shorter one for replies) and set them to insert automatically or add them manually when needed.

What should your signature include?

Effective signatures balance professionalism with brevity. Include enough information to be useful without overwhelming the recipient.

Component	Purpose	Example
Full name	Identity	John Smith
Title/position	Professional context	Marketing Director
Company name	Organization	Acme Corporation
Phone number	Contact option	+1 (555) 123-4567
Email address	Useful for forwarded emails	john@acme.com
Website	Drive traffic	www.acme.com
Logo	Visual branding	Company logo
Social links	Additional engagement	LinkedIn icon

The must-haves are name, title, company, and phone. Everything else depends on your needs — a logo adds visual polish, social links extend your reach, and a website gives recipients somewhere to learn more.

Stick with professional closings like “Regards,” “Thank you,” or “Best” rather than casual phrases. First impressions form quickly, and signatures shape how recipients perceive you before they’ve read a word.

How do you add a signature in Classic Outlook (Windows)?

Classic Outlook offers two paths to the same signature settings. Pick whichever feels more natural.

File menu path

1. Open Outlook
2. Click File > Options
3. Select Mail in the left sidebar
4. Click the Signatures button
5. Click New, enter a signature name
6. Type and format your signature in the editor
7. Set defaults for New messages and Replies/forwards
8. Click OK to save

Message ribbon path

1. Open a new email message
2. Click the Insert tab (or Message tab)
3. Click Signature > Signatures
4. Click New, enter a signature name
5. Type and format your signature in the editor
6. Set defaults for your email account
7. Click OK to save

One quirk worth knowing: the first email you open after creating a signature won’t include it automatically. You’ll need to insert it manually that one time. Every message after that will have your signature applied based on your default settings.

How do you add a signature in New Outlook and Outlook on the web?

New Outlook for Windows and the browser-based version share the same interface — and the same signature settings. Create your signature once, and it syncs between both.

1. Click the Settings gear (top right corner)
2. Select Accounts > Signatures
3. Click + New signature (or Add signature)
4. Enter a signature name
5. Type and format your content
6. Set defaults for New messages and Replies/forwards
7. Click Save

If you use both Classic Outlook and New Outlook (or the web version), you’ll need to create signatures in both places. They don’t sync with each other — Classic stores signatures locally, while New Outlook and web share cloud-based settings.

How do you add a signature in Outlook for Mac?

Mac has its own signature preferences, accessed through the Outlook menu rather than File.

1. Open Outlook
2. Click Outlook menu > Preferences
3. Select Signatures
4. Click the + button to add a new signature
5. Enter a name and compose your signature
6. Assign to your account and set defaults
7. Close preferences to save

The Mac editor offers similar formatting options to Windows — fonts, colors, images, and links all work the same way.

How do you add a signature in Outlook mobile?

The mobile process is streamlined but more limited in what you can format.

1. Tap your profile icon (top left)
2. Tap the Settings gear
3. Scroll down to Signature
4. Delete the default text (“Sent from Outlook”)
5. Type your new signature
6. Tap the back arrow to save

Mobile signatures are device-specific — they won’t sync with your desktop settings. You’ll also have fewer formatting options (basic text styling and links, but no images or complex layouts). For most people, a simple text signature with name, title, and phone works fine on mobile.

What formatting options are available?

Formatting capabilities vary significantly across platforms.

Feature	Classic Outlook	New Outlook/Web	Mobile
Font style/size	Yes	Yes	Limited
Font color	Yes	Yes	No
Bold/italic/underline	Yes	Yes	Yes
Text alignment	Yes	Yes	No
Hyperlinks	Yes	Yes	Yes
Images/logos	Yes	Yes	No
Tables	Yes (via Word)	Limited	No
Borders	Yes (via Word)	No	No

Advanced formatting

For complex signatures with tables, borders, or precise layouts, the built-in editor falls short (it’s admittedly finicky with anything beyond basics). 

The workaround is to create your design in Microsoft Word first, then copy and paste into the Outlook signature editor. Word gives you far more control over spacing, alignment, and visual elements.

Adding images

1. In the signature editor, click the Image icon
2. Select your image file
3. Right-click the image > Picture
4. Adjust size (keep “Lock aspect ratio” checked)
5. Click OK

Always maintain the aspect ratio when resizing — stretched or squished logos look amateur. If your logo appears too large, resize the actual file before inserting rather than relying on the editor’s sizing controls.

How do you set automatic signature insertion?

Default settings save time by inserting your signature without any extra clicks.

Setting	Options	What it does
New messages	Select signature or (none)	Auto-insert on fresh emails
Replies/forwards	Select signature or (none)	Auto-insert on responses
Email account	Select which account	Ties signature to specific account

Multiple signatures

You can create several signatures for different situations — a common approach that keeps emails appropriate for their context.

Signature type	When to use	What to include
Full/formal	New messages to clients	Complete contact info, logo, CTA
Abbreviated	Replies and forwards	Name, title, phone only
Internal	Messages to colleagues	Just name and extension
Promotional	Campaign periods	Banner or special offer link

Using a shorter signature for replies prevents your full contact block from cluttering ongoing threads. Recipients don’t need your logo and LinkedIn link repeated twelve times in a conversation.

What design mistakes should you avoid?

A few common errors undermine otherwise professional signatures.

Mistake	Why it’s a problem
Image-only signature	If the image fails to load, the entire signature invisible
Animated GIFs	May not display on all devices, looks unprofessional
Too many CTAs	If the image fails to load, the entire signature is invisible
Excessive colors/fonts	Cluttered appearance, hard to read
Overly long signature	Takes up too much email real estate
VML tags for images	Images appear as attachments, not inline

The image-only mistake deserves emphasis. Many people design beautiful signatures in Canva, export them as a single image, and insert them. The problem is that email clients frequently block images by default. When that happens, recipients see a blank space where your contact information should be. Keep essential text as actual text — not embedded in graphics.

Troubleshooting

Common issues have straightforward fixes.

Issue	Cause	Solution
Signature not appearing	Not set as default	Check default settings in signature options
Missing on first email	Classic Outlook quirk	Configure mobile signature independently in the app
Image not displaying	File path broken or blocked	Manually insert into that initial message
Formatting lost	Pasted from Word incorrectly	Use “Keep Source Formatting” when pasting
Signature too large	Oversized image files	Resize images before inserting
Different on mobile	Separate settings	Configure mobile signature independently in app

Frequently asked questions

Here are some commonly asked questions on this topic: