How to Add a Signature in Outlook (New, Classic and Web)

Your email signature is the tiny bit of text that sits under thousands of your messages, and most of us set it up once and never look at it again. For a small business owner it's a quiet bit of marketing: your name, your role, your website and a way to get hold of you, every single time you hit Send.

Outlook makes you set it up in a different place depending on which version you're using, and there's one trap that catches nearly everyone who switches between the app and the browser. Here's the lot, following Microsoft's help page.

Setting up an Outlook signature in new Outlook for Windows

1. Click the gear icon to open Settings.
2. Go to Accounts, then Signatures.
3. If you've added more than one account, choose the one this signature is for.
4. Click Add signature and give it a distinct name.
5. Type your signature into the editing box and format it.
6. Tick the boxes to apply it to new messages, and to replies and forwards, or leave them clear and add it by hand.
7. Click Save.

To use a saved signature by hand, start a new mail, go to the Message tab and click Signature in the Insert group.

Creating an email signature in classic Outlook

1. Open a new email, then choose Signature and then Signatures from the Message menu.
2. Pick the email account from the E-mail account drop-down.
3. Under Select signature to edit, choose New and name it.
4. Write the signature under Edit signature.
5. Under Choose default signature, set the New messages drop-down and, if you want one, the Replies/forwards drop-down.
6. Click OK.

One detail from Microsoft is easy to miss: classic Outlook doesn't add a new default signature to the message that was already open while you made it. Insert it by hand on that one, and every message after that picks it up.

Adding a signature in Outlook on the web

It's much the same: Settings, then Accounts, then Signatures. Click Add signature, name it, type and format your text, choose whether it applies to new messages and to replies and forwards, then click Save.

Here's the trap I mentioned. Microsoft says that if you use both Outlook and Outlook on the web with a Microsoft account, you need to create a signature in both products. Make one in the app, then open your inbox in a browser, and you'll find it blank. Classic Outlook also stores signatures on the device, so a signature on your laptop won't appear on another computer.

What to put in your Outlook signature

Microsoft says a signature can hold formatted text, links and pictures, such as a logo or a handwritten signature. Resist the urge to use all of that at once. I'd keep it short:

• Your name and job title or business name.
• One link, usually your website or booking page.
• One way to reach you, such as a phone number you answer.
• A small logo, if it adds anything.

If you want to go further and use your signature as a marketing tool, my piece on using your email signature to grow your business covers what works and what looks cluttered.

Fancy layouts in an Outlook signature

Want bullets, tables or borders? Microsoft's tip for classic Outlook is to build the signature in Word, then copy and paste it into the Edit signature box. Social media icons and pre-designed templates are mentioned for classic Outlook too.

If you add a logo and it's too big, right-click the picture, choose Picture, open the Size tab and adjust it, keeping Lock aspect ratio ticked so it doesn't stretch. Microsoft doesn't give a recommended size, so judge it by eye and send a test to yourself.

Different Outlook signatures for new emails and replies

Microsoft's page lets you treat new messages and replies differently. In new Outlook and the web version you use two tick boxes, and in classic Outlook you use two drop-downs. A common approach is a fuller signature on new emails and a short one on replies, so long threads don't fill up with logos.

Microsoft also notes that if you choose (none) for new messages in classic Outlook, no signature is added to anything you reply to or forward. If replies suddenly go out bare, check that setting first.

If your Outlook signature isn't showing

1. Check you're editing the right account, if you have more than one.
2. Check the new message and replies and forwards settings.
3. Check the signature exists in both the app and the web version, as Microsoft says you need to create one in each.
4. Insert it by hand through the Signature button on the Message tab to confirm it exists.
5. If the new Outlook steps don't match your screen, you may still be in classic Outlook, so follow those steps instead.

Once the signature works, it's worth keeping your inbox tidy too. My piece on the email management system that saved my inbox is a good next read.

Frequently asked questions

How do I add a signature in Outlook?

In new Outlook, click the gear icon, go to Accounts, then Signatures, click Add signature, type it and click Save. In classic Outlook, open a new email and choose Signature, then Signatures, from the Message menu.

Why is my Outlook signature missing on the web?

Microsoft says you need to create a signature in both Outlook and Outlook on the web if you use both with a Microsoft account.

Can I put a logo in my Outlook signature?

Yes. Microsoft says a signature can include pictures such as a logo. To resize, right-click the picture, choose Picture, open the Size tab and keep Lock aspect ratio ticked.

Can I use a different signature for replies?

Yes. New Outlook and the web version use separate tick boxes for new messages and for replies and forwards. Classic Outlook uses separate drop-downs.

Why doesn't my new signature appear on the message I'm writing?

Microsoft says classic Outlook doesn't add a new default signature to a message that was already open when you made it. Insert it by hand from the Signature button.