How-to guide
Adding your email signature in Outlook
Outlook comes in three flavors, and each one hides the signature setting in a slightly different place. Find the version you use below, then follow the exact steps. Every path here has been checked against Microsoft's current documentation.
First, which Outlook are you using?
This is the step people skip, and it is why signature instructions so often "don't match the screen." Pick by what you actually see:
New Outlook
for Windows
Settings gear at the top right and no File menu on the ribbon.Classic Outlook
for Windows
File menu in the top-left of the ribbon.Webmail
(Outlook on the web)
outlook.office.com or outlook.com.New Outlook for Windows
Menu path: Settings → Accounts → Signatures
- Open the Settings gear near the top-right corner of the window.Settingstop-right gear icon
- In the settings window, choose Accounts, then Signatures.Accounts›Signatures
- If more than one account is listed, pick the account this signature should apply to.
- Select Add signature and give it a clear name, for example Main.Add signature
- In the editing box below the name, type your signature, or paste in the one we provided you, then format it with the font, color, and style you want.
- Use the checkboxes at the bottom to decide when it appears. Leave both unchecked if you would rather add it by hand each time.Apply to new messagesApply to replies and forwards
- Select Save.Save
Classic Outlook for Windows
Two ways in, both open the same Signatures and Stationery window. Use whichever you find easier.
- Open the signature settings. Either route below works:
Note: Assumes you have the new email window open
Message tab › Signature › Signaturesfrom inside a new email
or
File›Options›Mail›Signatures… - Under Select signature to edit, click New. Type a name and select OK.New
- In the Edit signature box, type your signature, or paste in the one we provided you, then format the text as you like.
- Under Choose default signature, set three things: the E-mail account this applies to, the signature for New messages, and the signature for Replies/forwards. Leave any dropdown on (none) to skip it.New messages: MainReplies/forwards: Main
- Select OK to save.OK
Message › Signature and pick it from the list.File › Options › Mail › Signatures.Webmail (Outlook on the web)
Menu path: Settings → Accounts → Signatures
- Sign in to Outlook in your browser, then open the Settings gear at the top-right of the page.Settings
- Choose Accounts, then Signatures.Accounts›Signatures
- Select Add signature and give it a name.New signature
- Type your signature in the box, or paste in the one we provided you, then format it with the toolbar.
- Under Select default signatures, choose which signature to use for new messages and for replies/forwards.For new messagesFor replies and forwards
- Select Save.Save
Settings › View all Outlook settings › Mail › Compose and reply, and the Email signature box is there. Everything else works the same.When it doesn't behave
The handful of things that trip people up most often.
- 1
The steps don't match my screen
You are almost certainly in the wrong version. Recheck the top of this guide: a
Filemenu means Classic, a gear with noFilemenu means New, and a browser tab means Webmail. - 2
My signature saved but doesn't show up on emails
Saving a signature and setting it as the default are two separate actions. Go back and make sure it is selected for new messages (and replies/forwards, if you want it there).
- 3
Desktop and web show different signatures
These do not sync. A signature made in New or Classic Outlook lives on that computer; a Webmail signature lives in your mailbox. Set it up in each place you send email from.
- 4
My logo or formatting looks broken
Pasting from Word or a web page can carry hidden formatting. Build the signature directly in the editor, or ask us for a clean company template so everyone matches.
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