How to add an image to your Gmail signature
You can add an image to your Gmail signature by uploading it directly from your computer or inserting a link to an image hosted online. The process takes about two minutes and works the same way whether you use Gmail on the web or the Gmail app on your phone.
Gmail stores your signature in your account settings, so once you add an image, it will appear at the bottom of every email you send from that account — unless you turn the signature off for a specific message. The image stays the same size across all your emails, so choose something that won't make your messages look cluttered.
Key Takeaways
- Open Gmail settings, go to the Signature section, and click the image icon in the text editor to upload or link to an image.
- Images you upload are stored on Google's servers, but images you link to depend on that external website staying online.
- Keep your signature image small — under 100 pixels tall works well — so it doesn't dominate your emails.
- You can create multiple signatures with different images and choose which one to use for each email.
- If your image doesn't show up in emails you send to certain people, their email provider may be blocking images by default.
Steps to upload an image from your computer
Open Gmail in a web browser and click the gear icon in the top right corner. Select See all settings, then click the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab. Scroll down to the Signature
Click in the text box where it says "Create new" or click on an existing signature name if you want to edit one. Look for the image icon in the toolbar above the text box — it looks like a small picture frame. Click it, then select Upload image. Choose a file from your computer and click Open. The image will appear in your signature preview.
Scroll to the bottom of the page and click Save Changes. Your signature with the image is now active and will appear on all outgoing emails from this account.
Steps to link to an image already online
If your image is already hosted on a website — for example, a company logo on your business website or a photo on Google Drive — you can link to it instead of uploading. This saves space in your Gmail account and means you can update the image in one place and have it change everywhere.
Follow the same steps above: open settings, find the Signature section, and click the image icon in the text editor. This time, select Insert image and paste the full web address (URL) of the image. Gmail will preview the image to confirm it loaded correctly before you save.
The downside is that if the website hosting the image goes down or removes the image, your signature will show a broken image icon instead. For this reason, uploading an image directly is usually more reliable for a signature you use every day.
Image size and format recommendations
Gmail doesn't enforce a maximum size, but images wider than 600 pixels will get squeezed down on mobile phones and can make your emails look unprofessional. A good target is 100 to 200 pixels wide and 50 to 100 pixels tall — large enough to see clearly, small enough to fit neatly at the bottom of an email.
Use common image formats: JPG, PNG, or GIF. PNG works best if your image has a transparent background. If your image file is very large (over 1 MB), resize it before uploading — most image editing tools or free online resizers can do this in seconds.
Test your signature by sending a test email to yourself or a colleague. Open it on both a computer and a phone to see how the image looks in different contexts. Some email clients on older phones may not display images at all, so don't rely on the image alone to convey important information.
Creating multiple signatures with different images
Gmail lets you create more than one signature and choose which one to use for each email. This is useful if you want a formal signature with a company logo for work emails and a simpler signature for personal messages.
In the Signature section of settings, look for the option to Create new. Give each signature a name — for example, "Work" or "Personal" — and add a different image to each one. When you compose a new email, a dropdown menu at the bottom will let you pick which signature to attach. If you don't choose one, Gmail uses the signature marked as default.
Troubleshooting: Image not showing up in sent emails
If you've added an image to your signature but it doesn't appear in emails you send, the most common reason is that the recipient's email provider is blocking images by default. Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo all have settings that let users hide images until they choose to display them — this is a privacy feature to prevent tracking.
The recipient will see a message saying "Images are hidden" or "Show images" and can click to reveal your signature. This is normal and not a problem with your setup. If the image doesn't show even when the recipient clicks to display images, check that the image file still exists (if you linked to it online) or that you uploaded it correctly.
If you're using Gmail on a phone app rather than the web, note that some third-party email apps don't support signature images at all. The official Gmail app for iPhone and Android does support them, but the image may not display while you're composing — it will appear correctly when the recipient opens the email.
When to use a text signature instead
An image signature looks polished, but a text-only signature is sometimes the better choice. If you send emails to people using very old email clients, or if you send a lot of emails on unstable internet connections, text loads faster and more reliably than images.
You can also combine text and images: add your name and contact details as text, then add a small logo or photo below. This gives you the best of both — readable information that always shows up, plus a visual element that most modern email clients will display.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make the image clickable so people can visit my website?
Yes. In the signature editor, select the image, then click the link icon in the toolbar. Paste the web address you want the image to link to. When someone clicks the image in your email, it will open that link.
Does adding an image to my signature use up my Gmail storage?
Images you upload to your signature are stored on Google's servers but don't count against your 15 GB of free Gmail storage. Linked images don't use your storage at all.
Can I add an image signature on the Gmail mobile app?
The Gmail app on iPhone and Android doesn't have a built-in way to create or edit signatures. You'll need to use Gmail in a web browser on your phone or computer to set up an image signature, but once it's saved, it will appear on emails you send from the app.
What happens to my signature image if I delete the original file from my computer?
If you uploaded the image to Gmail, it stays in your signature even if you delete the file from your computer — Gmail keeps its own copy. If you linked to an image online, deleting the original file will break the link and show a broken image icon instead.
Can I use an animated GIF in my signature?
Gmail accepts animated GIFs, but many email clients will only show the first frame as a still image. Test with recipients before relying on animation to convey information.