How to Add a Signature to Your Outlook Emails

Add a signature in three steps

A signature in Outlook is a block of text that appears automatically at the bottom of every email you send. You can add one through the Settings menu in about two minutes. The process differs slightly depending on whether you use Outlook on the web, Outlook desktop, or Outlook on your phone — but all three routes start in the same place.

Your signature can include your name, job title, phone number, website, or any other text you want to appear on every message. Outlook lets you set different signatures for different email accounts if you have more than one, and you can choose whether new emails, replies, and forwarded messages all use the same signature or different ones.

Key Takeaways

Desktop Outlook users go to File > Options > Mail > Signatures to create and manage signatures.
Outlook on the web users find signatures under Settings > Mail > Compose and reply, then Signatures.
You can set one signature for new messages and a different one for replies and forwards.
Signatures appear automatically on every email you send once you turn them on, so you do not have to type them each time.

How to add a signature in Outlook desktop

Open Outlook on your computer and click the File menu in the top left corner. Select Options from the left sidebar. In the Options window, click Mail on the left side, then scroll down and click Signatures.

In the Signatures window, click New under "Select signature to edit." Type a name for your signature — something like "Work" or "Personal" — and click OK. In the text box below, type or paste the text you want to appear in your emails. You can format it with bold, italics, font size, and color using the toolbar above the text box.

Once you have written your signature, use the dropdown menus to choose which accounts and which types of messages use it. Under "Choose default signature," set one signature for new messages and optionally a different one for replies and forwards. Click OK when you are done, and your signature will appear on all matching emails from that point forward.

How to add a signature in Outlook on the web

Log into Outlook.com or your work Outlook account in a web browser. Click the gear icon in the top right corner and select Settings. In the left sidebar, click Mail, then scroll down and click Compose and reply.

Scroll down to the Signatures section. Type your signature text directly into the box. You can use basic formatting like bold and italics with the toolbar above the text field. Check the box next to "Automatically include my signature on messages I compose" to turn it on.

If you have multiple email accounts in Outlook on the web, you can set a different signature for each one by selecting the account from the dropdown menu before you create the signature. Click Save at the bottom of the page when you are finished.

How to add a signature in Outlook mobile

Open Outlook on your phone and tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the bottom right corner. Tap Settings, then select your email account. Scroll down and tap Signature.

Type the text you want to appear in your emails. On iPhone, tap Done when finished. On Android, the signature saves automatically. Your signature will now appear at the bottom of every email you send from that account on your phone.

Edit or remove a signature

To change a signature you have already created, go back to the same location where you made it. In desktop Outlook, that is File > Options > Mail > Signatures. In Outlook on the web, it is Settings > Mail > Compose and reply > Signatures. Select the signature you want to change, edit the text, and click Save or OK.

To remove a signature entirely, select it and click Delete (in desktop Outlook) or simply clear the text box and save (in Outlook on the web). If you delete a signature that was set as your default, Outlook will stop adding any signature to your emails unless you choose a different one.

Use different signatures for different purposes

Outlook lets you create multiple signatures and choose which one to use for different situations. You might have one formal signature for work emails and a casual one for personal messages. To do this, create each signature separately and give them different names — like "Professional" and "Personal."

In desktop Outlook, you can set a default signature for new messages and a different default for replies and forwards. When you compose a new email, you can also manually switch to a different signature by clicking Insert > Signature and choosing from your list. In Outlook on the web, you can only set one signature per account, but you can edit it before sending any individual email if needed.

Troubleshoot signature problems

If your signature is not appearing on emails, first check that you have turned it on. In desktop Outlook, go back to File > Options > Mail > Signatures and make sure a signature is selected in the "Choose default signature" dropdown. In Outlook on the web, verify that the checkbox next to "Automatically include my signature" is checked.

If you recently changed your signature and the old one is still appearing, close Outlook completely and reopen it. Desktop Outlook sometimes caches the old signature in memory. If you are using Outlook on the web and the signature still does not appear after refreshing the page, try clearing your browser cache or switching to a different browser to rule out a caching issue.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add a logo or image to my signature?

In desktop Outlook, click Insert > Picture while editing your signature to add an image file from your computer. In Outlook on the web, you cannot insert images directly into signatures, but you can paste formatted text and links. Mobile Outlook does not support images in signatures.

What if I have multiple email accounts in Outlook?

In desktop Outlook, create separate signatures for each account and assign them in the "Choose default signature" section. In Outlook on the web, select each account from the dropdown menu before creating its signature. Mobile Outlook lets you set a signature for each account independently through the Settings menu.

Can I use HTML code in my signature?

Desktop Outlook does not have a built-in HTML editor for signatures, but you can paste pre-formatted HTML if you copy it from another source. Outlook on the web and mobile do not support raw HTML in signatures — they only accept plain text and basic formatting.

Does my signature appear in forwarded emails?

In desktop Outlook, you can choose whether forwarded messages include your signature by setting it separately under "Choose default signature." By default, most forwarded emails do not include a signature unless you specifically set one. In Outlook on the web, forwarded messages do not include your signature automatically.

Can I add a signature to emails I have already written?

In desktop Outlook, open a draft email and click Insert > Signature to add one manually. In Outlook on the web, you can edit the message and type your signature at the bottom before sending. Once an email is sent, you cannot add a signature to it retroactively.

This guide is for general information only and is not medical, financial, legal, or other professional advice. For decisions specific to your situation, consult a qualified professional. See our Editorial Policy.