How to Add a Signature to Your Outlook Email

Add a signature in three steps

A signature in Outlook Office 365 is a block of text that appears automatically at the bottom of every email you send. It usually contains your name, job title, phone number, or company website. You create it once in your settings, and Outlook adds it to all new messages without you having to type it each time.

The fastest way to set this up is through the Settings menu. Open Outlook in your web browser or desktop application, go to Settings, find the Signature section, type what you want to appear at the bottom of your emails, and save. The signature will then show up on every new message you compose.

The exact steps differ slightly depending on whether you use Outlook on the web or the desktop version of Outlook. Both methods take less than five minutes.

Key Takeaways

• Your signature appears automatically on every new email you send, but not on replies or forwarded messages unless you change a setting.
• You can create different signatures for different email accounts if you have more than one in Outlook.
• Signatures can include text, but not images or formatted fonts in all versions of Outlook.
• Once you save your signature, it takes effect immediately on all new messages you start composing.

Add a signature in Outlook on the web

Open Outlook in your web browser and sign in with your Microsoft account. In the top right corner, click the gear icon and select View all Outlook settings. This opens the full settings panel.

On the left side of the settings panel, click Mail, then scroll down and click Compose and reply. You will see a text box labeled Email signature. Type your signature text directly into this box — include your name, title, phone number, or anything else you want at the bottom of your emails.

When you are finished typing, scroll down and click Save. The signature is now active. The next time you start a new email, your signature will appear at the bottom of the compose window.

Add a signature in Outlook desktop application

Open Outlook on your computer. At the top of the window, click File, then select Options from the menu on the left. This opens the Outlook Options dialog.

In the left panel, click Mail. On the right side, look for the section labeled Signatures and click the Signatures button. A new window opens where you can create and manage your signatures.

Click the New button, give your signature a name (like "Work" or "Personal"), and click OK. In the text box below, type the text you want to appear in your signature. When you are done, click OK to save.

Set your signature to appear on replies and forwarded messages

By default, Outlook only adds your signature to new emails you write. If you want your signature to also appear when you reply to or forward a message, you need to change one setting.

In Outlook on the web, go back to Mail > Compose and reply in Settings. Look for the option that says Include my signature on messages I send or Automatically include my signature on replies and forwards, depending on your version. Check this box and save.

In Outlook desktop, open File > Options > Mail and click Signatures. Look for the checkbox that says Automatically include my signature on messages I compose or Automatically include my signature on replies and forwards. Check it and click OK.

Create different signatures for different email accounts

If you have multiple email accounts set up in Outlook, you can create a separate signature for each one. In Outlook on the web, the signature you create applies to whichever account you are currently signed into, so you can set up a different one by signing out and signing back in with a different account.

In Outlook desktop, open File > Options > Mail and click Signatures. In the Signatures window, you will see a dropdown menu that says E-mail account. Select the account you want to create a signature for, then click New and type your signature. Repeat this for each account you want to customize.

Edit or delete a signature you have already created

If you need to change your signature later, the process is straightforward. In Outlook on the web, go back to Mail > Compose and reply in Settings, find your signature in the text box, make your changes, and click Save.

In Outlook desktop, open File > Options > Mail and click Signatures. Your existing signature will be listed in the window. Click on it to select it, then edit the text in the box below. Click OK when you are done. To delete a signature entirely, select it and click the Delete button.

Troubleshooting: signature not appearing on your emails

If you created a signature but it is not showing up on your emails, check that you actually saved it. In Outlook on the web, make sure you clicked the Save button at the bottom of the settings page. In Outlook desktop, make sure you clicked OK in the Signatures window and again in the Options dialog.

Also check whether you are composing a new message or replying to one. Signatures only appear on new messages by default. If you want them on replies too, you need to turn on that setting as described in the section above. If you have multiple accounts, verify that you are using the account you created the signature for.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use different signatures for different recipients?

No, Outlook does not have a built-in way to automatically change your signature based on who you are emailing. You would need to manually edit your signature each time or create multiple accounts with different signatures and switch between them.

Can I add images or colors to my signature?

Outlook on the web has limited formatting options for signatures. You can use basic text, but images and colored fonts may not display the same way for everyone who receives your email. Outlook desktop allows more formatting, but some recipients using older email clients may not see the formatting correctly.

Why is my signature appearing twice on forwarded messages?

This usually happens when you have the setting turned on to include your signature on replies and forwards, and the original message already contained a signature. You can either turn off that setting or manually delete the duplicate signature before sending.

Can I schedule my signature to change on a certain date?

Outlook does not have an automatic scheduling feature for signatures. You would need to manually update your signature in Settings whenever you want to change it.

What happens to my signature if I change my password?

Your signature is stored separately from your password, so changing your password will not affect it. Your signature will continue to appear on all your emails.