Adding a signature in Mac Mail takes three steps: create the signature text in Mail's settings, choose which account it applies to, and decide whether it appears automatically or only when you select it
A signature in Mail is a block of text that appears at the bottom of every email you send — usually your name, phone number, or a standard closing line. Mac Mail stores signatures separately for each email account you use, so you can have different signatures for work and personal mail if you want.
The signature itself is just text. It cannot include images, clickable links, or formatting beyond basic bold or italic. If you need those things, you will have to add them to each email by hand, or use a third-party tool.
Key Takeaways
- Open Mail, go to Mail > Settings, click Signatures, and create your text in the box for your chosen account.
- Check "Automatically include signature" if you want it added to every new email; leave it unchecked to add it only when you choose.
- Each email account can have multiple signatures, and you can pick which one to use before sending.
- Signatures do not appear in the compose window until you finish typing and look at the preview, or until you send the email.
- If a signature does not appear on an email you sent, check that it is turned on for that account and that you did not delete it by accident.
How to create a signature in Mail settings
Open the Mail app and click Mail in the menu bar at the top of the screen. Select Settings (or Preferences if you are on an older Mac). A window will open with several tabs across the top.
Click the Signatures tab. On the left side, you will see a list of your email accounts. Click the account you want to add a signature to. A box will appear on the right side labeled with that account name. Type or paste your signature text into that box. You can type multiple lines — press Enter to move to the next line.
When you are done, close the Settings window. Your signature is now saved to that account.
Turning automatic signatures on and off
In the Signatures tab, below the text box where you typed your signature, you will see a checkbox that says Automatically include signature. If you check this box, Mail will add your signature to every new email you compose for that account.
If you leave the box unchecked, Mail will not add the signature automatically. Instead, when you are writing an email, you can click the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the compose window, find Insert Signature, and choose which signature to add. This is useful if you sometimes want to send emails without a signature, or if you have multiple signatures and want to pick a different one for certain emails.
The automatic setting applies only to new emails you write. It does not affect replies or forwarded messages — those have their own setting, which you can also control in the Signatures tab.
Creating multiple signatures for one account
You can create more than one signature for the same email account. In the Signatures tab, click the plus sign (+) button at the bottom of the text box. A new blank signature will appear. Type a name for it in the field above the text box, then type the signature text below.
Repeat this for each signature you want to create. When you compose an email, you can choose which signature to use by clicking the menu icon in the compose window and selecting Insert Signature. A submenu will show all your signatures for that account.
If you have automatic signatures turned on, Mail will use the first signature in your list by default. You can change which one is the default by dragging signatures up or down in the list.
Signatures for different email accounts
If you have multiple email accounts set up in Mail, each account can have its own signature. In the Signatures tab, click the account name on the left, then create or edit the signature for that account. The signature you create will only be used when you send mail from that account.
When you compose a new email, Mail automatically uses the signature for whichever account you are sending from. If you change the "From" account in the compose window, the signature will change too.
Troubleshooting signatures that do not appear
If you sent an email and the signature did not show up, first check that you created a signature for that account and that Automatically include signature is checked. Open Mail > Settings > Signatures, click the account, and look for your text in the box.
If the signature is there but still did not appear, check whether you replied to an email or forwarded one. Replies and forwards have separate settings. In the Signatures tab, look for the option Automatically include signature in replies and forwards and check that box if you want signatures on those too.
If you manually inserted a signature using the menu, make sure you actually sent the email. Signatures sometimes do not show in the compose window while you are typing — they appear when you send, or when you switch to the preview view.
What you cannot do with Mac Mail signatures
Mac Mail signatures are plain text only. You cannot add images, colored text, or clickable links directly in the signature settings. If you need those things, you have two options: add them to each email by hand after composing, or use a different email client that supports formatted signatures.
Some people work around this by creating a formatted signature in a word processor, taking a screenshot, and inserting that as an image in each email. This is time-consuming and not recommended unless you send very few emails.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I have different signatures for replies versus new emails?
Yes. In the Signatures tab, you can check Automatically include signature for new emails, and separately check Automatically include signature in replies and forwards. You can use the same signature for both, or create different ones and choose which applies to each type of message.
What happens to my signature if I delete my email account from Mail?
The signature is stored in Mail's settings, not on your email server, so it stays in Mail even if you remove the account. If you add the account back later, the signature will still be there. If you want to delete a signature permanently, go to Signatures, click the account, select the signature, and click the minus sign (−) button.
Can I use the same signature for multiple accounts?
Not automatically. You have to create the signature separately for each account. The fastest way is to create it for one account, then copy the text, go to each other account, and paste it into a new signature there.
Why does my signature look different when the recipient opens it?
Mail sends signatures as plain text, so the recipient sees only the words you typed, not any formatting. If you used bold or italic in the signature settings, those may or may not show up depending on the recipient's email client. For the most reliable appearance, stick to plain text only.