Gmail signatures appear at the bottom of every email you send
A Gmail signature is a block of text, contact details, or branding that automatically adds itself to the end of your outgoing messages. You set it once in Gmail settings, and it appears on every email unless you turn it off for that specific message. Gmail lets you format signatures with different fonts, colors, links, and images — or keep them plain text if you prefer.
The signature you create shows up the same way to everyone who receives your email, regardless of what email program they use to read it. This makes signatures useful for adding your name, title, phone number, website, or a professional closing line without typing it each time.
Key Takeaways
- Open Gmail settings, click the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab, scroll to Signature, and paste or type your signature text into the box.
- Use the formatting toolbar above the signature box to add bold, italic, underline, colors, links, and images to your signature.
- You can create multiple signatures and choose which one to use for each email, or set a default signature that appears on all messages.
- Gmail signatures work in both the web version and the Gmail app on phones, though the app offers fewer formatting options.
- Test your signature by sending yourself an email to see how it looks in different email programs before using it with important contacts.
How to add a signature in Gmail on the web
Open Gmail in your web browser and click the gear icon in the top right corner. Select "See all settings" from the dropdown menu. Click the "Forwarding and POP/IMAP" tab near the top of the page.
Scroll down until you see the "Signature" section. Click in the text box below it and type or paste your signature. You can type directly into the box, or copy text from another document and paste it in. Once you finish, scroll to the bottom of the page and click "Save Changes."
Your signature now appears at the bottom of every new email you compose. If you want to turn it off for a single message, open that email's compose window and look for a small signature icon or toggle near the bottom — click it to remove the signature from just that email.
Formatting your signature with fonts, colors, and links
When you click in the signature text box, a formatting toolbar appears above it. This toolbar works like a word processor: you can highlight text and click buttons to make it bold, italic, or underlined. You can also change the font by clicking the font dropdown on the left side of the toolbar.
To add a link, highlight the text you want to link, click the link icon (it looks like a chain), and paste the web address into the box that appears. To change text color, click the "A" with a colored line underneath it and pick a color from the palette. You can also add a background color behind text by clicking the paint bucket icon.
Images work differently: click the image icon in the toolbar, upload a file from your computer, and it inserts into your signature. Keep images small — large images can make your email slow to load and look awkward on phones. A logo or headshot around 100 pixels wide usually works well.
Creating multiple signatures for different purposes
Gmail lets you create more than one signature and choose which one to use for each email. This is useful if you have multiple email addresses in Gmail, or if you want different signatures for work versus personal messages.
In the Signature section of settings, look for a dropdown that says "Gmail account" or shows your email address. Click it and select "Create new." Give your new signature a name — something like "Work" or "Personal" — and build it in the text box below. When you finish, click "Save Changes."
Now when you compose a new email, a dropdown near the bottom of the compose window shows your available signatures. Click it and pick the one you want. You can also set a default signature that appears automatically on all new emails by going back to settings and choosing which signature to use for each account.
Using signatures on Gmail mobile apps
The Gmail app on iPhone and Android does not let you create or edit signatures — you have to do that in the web version first. Once you set up a signature on the web, it appears automatically on emails you send from the mobile app.
If you need to turn off your signature for a single mobile email, the option is harder to find. On iPhone, open the compose window, scroll all the way down past your message, and look for a toggle or link to remove the signature. On Android, the process varies by phone model, but usually involves tapping the three-dot menu in the compose window and looking for a signature option.
Testing your signature before sending important emails
Before you use a new signature with clients, colleagues, or important contacts, send yourself a test email to see how it looks. Open a new email, address it to your own email account, type a short message, and send it. When it arrives in your inbox, open it and check how the signature appears.
Pay attention to formatting: colors might look different in different email programs, links should be clickable, and images should load properly. If you used a fancy font, check whether it displays correctly — some email programs fall back to a plain font if they do not recognize the one you chose. If something looks wrong, go back to settings, fix it, and send yourself another test email.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use HTML code in my Gmail signature?
Yes. In the Signature section of settings, click the three-dot menu above the text box and select "Plain text mode" to turn it off. This reveals an HTML editing option. Paste your HTML code there, but test it first — broken HTML can make your signature look strange or not appear at all.
Why does my signature look different on my phone than on my computer?
Different email programs display formatting differently. Outlook, Apple Mail, Gmail, and phone email apps all render colors, fonts, and spacing in their own way. Stick to simple formatting — bold, basic fonts, and standard colors — to keep your signature looking consistent across devices.
Can I add a signature to emails I forward or reply to?
By default, Gmail adds your signature only to new emails, not to replies or forwards. If you want it on replies too, go to settings, click the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab, and check the box that says "Insert signature before quoted text." This puts your signature above the original message in replies.
What happens to my signature if I delete my Gmail account?
Your signature is stored in your Gmail settings and disappears when you delete the account. If you switch email providers, you will need to set up a new signature in your new email program — there is no way to export it automatically.
Can I schedule different signatures for different times of day?
Gmail does not have a built-in scheduling feature for signatures. You would need to manually switch between signatures, or use a third-party tool like Boomerang or Gmail filters — though these add complexity and are not officially supported by Google.