Add a signature in Outlook through Settings

Open Outlook and go to File in the top left corner. Select Options, then choose Mail from the left sidebar. Scroll down until you see Signatures and click that button.

In the Signatures window, click New to create a signature. Type a name for it (like "Work" or "Personal") and click OK. The text box below will now be active for you to type or paste your signature content.

Type or paste whatever you want in your signature — your name, title, phone number, company name, or a closing phrase. You can format the text using the buttons above the text box: bold, italic, underline, font choices, and text color all work the same way they do in a regular email.

Key Takeaways

  • Signatures are created in File > Options > Mail > Signatures, not in individual emails.
  • You can create multiple signatures and choose which one to use for each email you send.
  • Outlook can automatically add a signature to all new emails and all replies, or you can add it manually each time.
  • Signatures support basic formatting like bold, italics, and different fonts, but not images or complex layouts in all Outlook versions.

Set a default signature for new emails

After you create your signature, you need to tell Outlook when to use it. In the same Signatures window, look for the section labeled Choose default signature.

There are two dropdown menus here. The first one says New messages — click it and select the signature you just created. This makes Outlook add that signature automatically to every new email you write.

The second dropdown is Replies and forwards. You can set this to the same signature, a different one, or (none) if you do not want a signature on replies. Many people leave replies blank to keep emails shorter in conversation threads.

Create multiple signatures for different purposes

You can make as many signatures as you need. Click New again in the Signatures window, give it a different name, and type the content. A common setup is one signature for work emails and another for personal ones.

Once you have multiple signatures saved, you can switch between them in any email. Click the Insert tab at the top of the email, then select Signature and choose which one you want. This overrides whatever default signature Outlook would normally add.

Add a signature to an email you already started

If you forgot to set a default signature or you want to use a different one for a specific email, you can add it manually. Open the email you are composing and click the Insert tab.

Click Signature and a dropdown menu will show all your saved signatures. Select the one you want and it will appear at the bottom of your email. If a signature is already there and you want to replace it, delete the old one first, then insert the new one.

Format and edit your signature

You can change how your signature looks after you create it. Go back to File > Options > Mail > Signatures, click the signature name you want to edit, and the text box will show its current content.

Highlight any text and use the formatting buttons above the box to change the font, size, color, or style. You can also add line breaks by pressing Enter, or add a horizontal line by clicking the line button in the toolbar. When you are done, click OK to save your changes.

If you want to delete a signature entirely, select it in the list and click Delete. This removes it from all your email accounts in Outlook.

Signatures in Outlook on the web

If you use Outlook through a web browser instead of the desktop app, the process is slightly different. Click the gear icon in the top right, then select View all Outlook settings.

Go to Mail > Compose and reply and scroll down to Email signature. Type your signature in the text box and use the formatting toolbar to style it. Check the box that says Automatically add my signature to messages I compose if you want it on every email. Click Save when you are finished.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add an image or logo to my signature?

In the desktop version of Outlook, click the Insert button in the Signatures window to add an image. In Outlook on the web, the image option is in the formatting toolbar when you are typing your signature. Keep images small so they do not make emails slow to load.

Why is my signature not showing up on emails I send?

Check that you set a default signature for new messages in File > Options > Mail > Signatures. If you did, restart Outlook and try again. If you are using Outlook on the web, make sure you checked the box to automatically add your signature.

Can I use different signatures for different email accounts?

Yes. In the Signatures window, the dropdown for New messages shows your email accounts. Select the account name, then choose which signature to use for that account. You can set a different signature for each account you have in Outlook.

What happens to my signature if I delete my Outlook account?

Signatures stay in Outlook even if you remove an email account. If you want to delete a signature completely, go to File > Options > Mail > Signatures, select it, and click Delete.