Create a signature in Outlook in three steps
A signature in Outlook is a block of text that appears at the bottom of every email you send — usually your name, title, phone number, and company information. You create it once in Outlook's settings, and it automatically adds itself to new messages. The process takes about two minutes and works the same way whether you use Outlook on Windows, Mac, or the web version.
The fastest way is to go to File > Options > Mail > Signatures (on Windows) or Outlook > Preferences > Signatures (on Mac), create your signature text there, and set it as your default. On Outlook.com or Outlook on the web, the setting lives under Settings > Mail > Compose and reply instead. Once you save it, the signature appears on every new email automatically.
Key Takeaways
- Signatures are created in Outlook's settings, not in individual emails, so you only set them up once.
- You can create multiple signatures and choose which one to use for each email, or set one as the default for all new messages.
- On Windows Outlook, signatures live under File > Options > Mail > Signatures; on Mac, they are under Outlook > Preferences > Signatures.
- Outlook.com and Outlook on the web use a different menu path (Settings > Mail > Compose and reply) but work the same way.
Create a signature on Windows Outlook
Open Outlook and click File in the top left corner. From the menu that appears, select Options. In the Outlook Options window, click Mail on the left side, then scroll down until you see the Signatures section and click the Signatures button.
In the Signatures window, click New under "Select signature to edit." A dialog box will ask you to name your signature — you can call it "Default," "Work," or anything that makes sense to you. Click OK. Now you have a blank text box where you can type your signature. Type your name, title, phone number, company name, or any other information you want at the bottom of your emails. You can press Enter to add line breaks and format it however you like.
Once you have typed your signature, look for the dropdown menus below the text box. The first one says "Choose default signature." Click it and select the signature you just created. This makes it appear automatically on all new emails. If you want it on replies and forwards too, click the second dropdown (which says "Choose default signature for replies and forwards") and select it again. Click OK to save.
Create a signature on Mac Outlook
Click Outlook in the menu bar at the very top of your screen. Select Preferences from the dropdown. In the Preferences window, find and click Signatures. You will see a list of email accounts on the left side — click the account you want to add a signature to.
Click the plus sign (+) at the bottom of the window to create a new signature. A dialog will ask you to name it. Type a name like "Default" or "Work" and press Enter. Now type your signature text in the large box on the right. Add your name, title, phone number, or company details on separate lines if you want.
Below the text box, you will see a dropdown that says "Choose default signature." Click it and select the signature you just created. If you want it on replies and forwards as well, click the second dropdown below that and select it there too. Close the Preferences window — your changes save automatically.
Create a signature on Outlook.com or Outlook on the web
Log into your Outlook.com account or access Outlook through your web browser. Click the gear icon in the top right corner and select Settings. In the Settings menu, click Mail on the left side, then find and click Compose and reply.
Scroll down until you see the "Email signature" section. Click in the text box and type your signature. You can add your name, title, phone number, website, or any other information. Unlike the desktop versions, Outlook.com does not have a separate "default" setting — whatever you type here will appear on all new emails automatically.
If you want your signature to appear on replies and forwards as well, look for a checkbox that says "Include my signature on messages I send" or similar wording (the exact label varies by account type). Make sure it is checked. Scroll down and click Save to finish.
Add formatting and links to your signature
If you want your signature to look more polished, you can add bold text, italics, or even a company logo. On Windows and Mac Outlook, the signature editor has a toolbar above the text box with formatting buttons — click the B for bold, I for italics, or U for underline, then type your text. You can also change the font or text color using the dropdown menus.
To add a clickable email link or website link, highlight the text you want to turn into a link, then click the link icon (usually a chain symbol) in the toolbar. A dialog will appear asking for the web address or email address. Type it in and click OK. On Outlook.com, formatting options are more limited — you may only be able to use basic bold and italic buttons, depending on your account type.
To add a company logo or image, click the image icon in the signature editor (on Windows and Mac). A file browser will open — navigate to your logo file and click Insert. The image will appear in your signature. Keep images small (under 100 pixels wide) so they do not make your emails look cluttered or slow to load.
Create multiple signatures and choose which one to use
You can create as many signatures as you want — for example, one for work emails, one for personal emails, and one for formal business letters. On Windows, go back to File > Options > Mail > Signatures and click New again. Name it something different, like "Formal" or "Personal," and type the text. Do the same on Mac by clicking the plus sign again in the Signatures window.
Once you have multiple signatures saved, you can choose which one to use for each email. When you create a new message, look for a menu or button that says "Signature" (on Windows, it is usually in the Insert tab at the top). Click it and select the signature you want. If you set one as the default, it will appear automatically, but you can always swap it out for a different one before you send.
On Outlook.com, you can only have one signature at a time. If you need different signatures for different purposes, you would have to edit the signature in Settings each time you want to change it — this is one limitation of the web version compared to desktop Outlook.
Fix common signature problems
If your signature is not appearing on new emails, check that you set it as the default. Go back to the signature settings and make sure the dropdown under "Choose default signature" actually has your signature selected — sometimes it defaults to "None." Also check that you are creating new messages, not replying to existing ones, since signatures sometimes do not appear on replies unless you specifically set them to.
If your signature appears on new emails but not on replies or forwards, you need to set it in the second dropdown menu. On Windows, this is labeled "Choose default signature for replies and forwards." On Mac, it is a separate setting below the first one. Make sure both dropdowns have your signature selected if you want it everywhere.
If your signature looks different in the email than it did in the settings — for example, the formatting changed or the line breaks disappeared — this usually means the person receiving your email is using an email client that does not support that formatting. Stick to simple text, bold, and italics for the widest compatibility. Avoid unusual fonts or colors that might not display the same way on every device.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I have different signatures for different email accounts?
Yes. If you have multiple email accounts set up in Outlook, you can create a separate signature for each one. On Windows and Mac, when you create a new signature, you choose which account it belongs to from the list on the left side of the Signatures window. Set a different default signature for each account, and Outlook will automatically use the right one depending on which account you are sending from.
What if I do not want a signature on a particular email?
When you create a new message, you can delete the signature before sending. Just highlight it and press Delete. If you want to send one email without a signature but keep the default for future emails, this is the easiest way. On Outlook.com, you would have to temporarily remove the signature from Settings, send the email, then add it back.
Can I include an image or logo in my signature?
Yes, on Windows and Mac Outlook. Click the image icon in the signature editor, browse to your logo file, and click Insert. Keep the image small (under 100 pixels wide) so it does not slow down your emails or look unprofessional. Outlook.com has limited image support — you may not be able to add images depending on your account type.
Why does my signature have extra spaces or line breaks when I send it?
This usually happens when you paste text from another program like Word or a web browser. The formatting from the original source carries over and creates unwanted spaces. To fix it, delete the signature text and retype it directly into the Outlook signature editor instead of pasting it.
Can I use HTML code in my signature?
On Windows and Mac Outlook, you can switch the signature editor to HTML mode, which lets you paste custom HTML code. Right-click in the signature text box and look for an option like "Edit HTML" or "Source." On Outlook.com, HTML editing is not available — you are limited to the formatting buttons in the compose window.