How to Add or Change Your Email Signature in Outlook (New Outlook, Classic, Web and Mac)

To add a signature in Outlook, open Settings > Accounts > Signatures in new Outlook for Windows or Outlook on the web, or go to File > Options > Mail > Signatures in classic Outlook for Windows. On a Mac, use Outlook > Settings > Signatures. Create the signature, choose whether it goes on new messages, replies and forwards, and save. To change it later, come back to the same screen, edit the signature and save again.

The tricky part is knowing which Outlook you have, because Microsoft currently ships several, and each one keeps signatures in a different place. This guide gives you the exact steps for every version as of October 2026 (checked against Microsoft's own support pages), plus how to add a logo, paste a designed signature, make it follow you across devices and find the files on your PC.

First: which Outlook do you have?

Microsoft sells "Outlook" in at least five forms, and the menus differ. Here is the quickest way to tell:

"Outlook 365" is not a separate app. If you have a Microsoft 365 subscription, your Outlook is either classic Outlook or new Outlook on Windows, Outlook on the web in a browser, or Outlook for Mac. Pick the matching section below.

Before you start: create the signature once

Every Outlook version has a small editor where you can type a name and a phone number. For anything with a logo, colors, social icons or a two-column layout, it is easier to design the signature elsewhere and paste it in. Outlook keeps the formatting when you paste a finished signature, and you can reuse the same design on every computer you use.

You can build one in a few minutes with Signguin, a free email signature generator: type your work email and it pulls in your company logo, brand colors and contact details from your website. No sign-up is needed for the free designs. The output is email-safe HTML (tables and inline styles, the way Outlook for Windows needs it), and the images are hosted for you, so they don't arrive as attachments.

Then come back here and follow the steps for your version.

How to add a signature in new Outlook for Windows

New Outlook for Windows uses the same settings screen as Outlook on the web.

1. Select Settings (the gear icon at the top right).
2. Choose Accounts > Signatures.
3. If you have more than one email account in Outlook, pick the account this signature belongs to.
4. Select Add signature and give it a name, for example "Work full".
5. Type your signature in the editing box, or paste a designed one with Ctrl+V.
6. Choose whether the signature is added automatically to new messages and to replies and forwards. Leave them unset if you prefer to add it by hand.
7. Select Save.

To add a signature to one email by hand: start a New mail, then select Signature on the ribbon and pick a saved signature. The same menu has a Signatures... link that takes you back to settings.

Coming from classic Outlook? New Outlook imports your classic settings, signatures included, the first time you start it, but only if Store my Outlook settings in the cloud was checked in classic Outlook under File > Options > General. If your signature didn't come over, check that box in classic Outlook, restart it, then in new Outlook go to Settings > Accounts > Your accounts, select Manage next to your main account and choose Get Started to run the import again.

How to add a signature in classic Outlook for Windows

Classic Outlook (Outlook 2016, 2019, 2021, 2024 and the Microsoft 365 desktop app) has its own Signatures and Stationery window.

1. Open a new email, then select Message > Signature > Signatures. You can also get there through File > Options > Mail > Signatures.
2. In the E-mail account list (under Choose default signature), pick the account you want the signature for.
3. Under Select signature to edit, select New, type a name and select OK.
4. Type or paste your signature in the Edit signature box. You can change fonts, colors, sizes and alignment with the small toolbar.
5. Under Choose default signature, set New messages to your signature.
6. Set Replies/forwards to your signature too, or leave it on (none).
7. Select OK.

One quirk Microsoft points out: classic Outlook does not add the new signature to the email you opened in step 1, even if you set it as the default. Insert it manually in that one message (Message > Signature, then pick it) or close the draft and start a new one.

To insert a signature manually: in an open email, go to the Message tab, select Signature and choose one from the list.

How to add a signature in Outlook on the web (Outlook.com and Microsoft 365)

This covers outlook.com for personal accounts and outlook.office.com for work and school accounts.

1. Select Settings (the gear icon at the top of the page).
2. Choose Accounts > Signatures.
3. Select Add signature and give it a distinct name.
4. Type or paste your signature in the editing box.
5. Choose whether it goes on new messages and on replies and forwards.
6. Select Save.

To add a signature to a single message, write your email or reply, then on the Message tab select Signature and choose the one you want.

If you also use new Outlook for Windows with the same Microsoft 365 or Outlook.com account, a signature saved in Outlook on the web shows up there too, and the other way round (more on that under roaming signatures).

How to add a signature in Outlook on a Mac

Microsoft documents two Mac versions: the current Outlook for Mac and legacy Outlook for Mac. Microsoft states that support for legacy Outlook for Mac ends in October 2026, so if you're still on it, this is a good moment to switch.

Outlook for Mac (current version)

1. On the Outlook menu, select Settings.
2. Under Mail, select Signatures.
3. Select Standard to rename and edit the default signature, or select the add button to create a new one.
4. Type or paste your signature in the signature editor. To add a picture, select See more items (the "..." button) in the editor toolbar and insert your photo or logo.
5. Under Choose which signature appears, select your account, then set For new messages and For replies or forwards.
6. Close the Signatures window. Your changes are saved.

To insert a signature by hand, click in the message body and select Signature on the ribbon.

Legacy Outlook for Mac

1. On the Outlook menu, select Settings (older builds say Preferences).
2. Under Email, select Signatures.
3. Double-click Untitled to rename it, or select the add (+) button for a new one.
4. Type or paste your signature. For pictures, use Pictures in the editor (Photo Browser or Picture from File).
5. Under Choose default signature, pick the account and set New messages and Replies/forwards.
6. Close both windows.

In a message, select Signature on the Message tab to insert one manually.

How to change your signature in Outlook

Changing a signature is the same trip as creating one:

• New Outlook for Windows and Outlook on the web: Settings > Accounts > Signatures, select Edit signature next to the one you want, make your changes and select Save.
• Classic Outlook for Windows: File > Options > Mail > Signatures, select the signature in the list, edit it in the Edit signature box, select Save, then OK.
• Outlook for Mac: Outlook > Settings > Signatures, select the signature by name, edit it, then close the window.

If you're replacing a whole designed signature (new job title, new logo), it is usually faster to delete the old content in the editor, paste the new version and save, rather than editing line by line. Formatting that you edit inside Outlook's small editor tends to drift: a stray font here, an extra blank line there.

How to remove or stop using a signature

• To stop it appearing automatically, set the default for new messages and for replies and forwards to no signature ((none) in classic Outlook). The signature stays saved for manual use.
• To delete it, select it in the signature list and use the delete option. In classic Outlook it's the Delete button in the Signatures and Stationery window. In new Outlook, Outlook on the web and on a Mac, delete it from the same Signatures list.
• To remove it from one email, just select the signature text in your draft and delete it.

Different signatures for new emails and replies

Most people want the full signature on new emails and a short one on replies, so a long thread doesn't repeat your logo 15 times. Create two signatures, for example "Full" and "Short", then set New messages to Full and Replies/forwards to Short. Every version above has those two settings.

A good short reply signature is just your name, title and phone number, in plain text.

Multiple signatures and multiple accounts

You can save as many signatures as you like and pick between them from the Signature button while writing. If you have several email accounts in one Outlook, set the defaults per account:

• Classic Outlook: change the E-mail account list in the Signatures and Stationery window, then set the defaults for that account.
• New Outlook: select the account at the top of Settings > Accounts > Signatures before choosing defaults.
• Mac: select the account under Choose which signature appears (or Choose default signature in legacy).

How to add a picture or logo to your Outlook signature

You have two options: insert the image in Outlook's editor, or paste a finished signature that already contains it.

Classic Outlook for Windows:

1. Open Signatures (Message > Signature > Signatures) and select your signature.
2. Select the Image button in the editor toolbar, find your image file and select Insert.
3. To resize it, right-click the image, choose Picture, open the Size tab and keep Lock aspect ratio checked.
4. Select OK twice.

New Outlook and Outlook on the web: open Settings > Accounts > Signatures, click where the logo should go and use the picture button in the editor toolbar (Insert pictures inline). Pick a file saved on your computer, not one in OneDrive or SharePoint: a Microsoft Q&A answer from August 2026 lists files picked from those locations as a common reason the insert button seems to do nothing. If the button still fails, insert the picture into a normal new email, copy it from there and paste it into the signature editor.

Mac: use See more items in the signature editor (current Outlook for Mac) or Pictures (legacy).

Microsoft lists .bmp, .gif, .jpg and .png as accepted picture formats. Use PNG or JPG: they are the safest across email apps. Keep the logo small. A logo around the height of three or four text lines is plenty, and our email signature size guide has exact pixel numbers.

Why logos sometimes turn into attachments: when you insert an image from your computer, Outlook embeds the file inside each email. Some recipients' email apps then show it as an attachment (a "image001.png" file), and it adds weight to every message. A signature whose images are hosted online and referenced by a link avoids that, which is why designed signatures from a generator usually look the same in every inbox. If your logo shows up as a red X or a blank box for recipients, see Outlook signature not showing.

How to paste an HTML signature from a generator

If you designed your signature in a generator, website or template, this is the cleanest way to get it into Outlook:

1. Open your signature in the browser and use the Copy button (or select the whole signature with your mouse and press Ctrl+C, Cmd+C on a Mac).
2. Open the Outlook signature editor for your version (see the steps above) and create a new signature.
3. Click inside the editing box and press Ctrl+V (Cmd+V on a Mac). Don't use "paste as plain text" or Ctrl+Shift+V: that strips the layout.
4. Set your defaults and Save.
5. Send a test email to yourself and to a Gmail address, and open it on your phone too.

Why pasting from a browser works better than typing or pasting code:

• When you copy a rendered signature from a browser, your clipboard carries the formatted version: the table layout, colors, links and image references. Outlook's editor accepts that formatting as is.
• Outlook's own editor has a basic toolbar. It can do bold, colors and a picture, but it can't reliably build a two-column layout with a logo on the left and aligned text on the right.
• If you paste the HTML source code (the text that starts with <table>), Outlook shows the code itself instead of the design. Paste the rendered signature, not the code.
• Pasting from Word works, but Word adds its own styling, which can change spacing when the email is read in another app.

One setting can undo all of this: if Outlook writes your emails in plain text, every signature arrives as plain text. In classic Outlook check File > Options > Mail > Compose messages in this format and pick HTML. In new Outlook and Outlook on the web it's under Settings > Mail > Compose and reply > Message format.

Signguin's free plan includes copy-and-paste install for Outlook, with step-by-step instructions in the app, and its HTML is built to hold together in Outlook for Windows and Outlook on the web. If you'd rather start from a design than a blank box, browse our email signature templates.

How to make your Outlook signature sync across devices

Since Outlook build 2303, Microsoft roaming signatures store your signature in your mailbox instead of only on one PC. According to Microsoft:

• It works for mailboxes on Microsoft 365 or Outlook.com. It does not work for Exchange on-premises servers, third-party email services, or POP/IMAP accounts.
• When it switches on, classic Outlook copies the signatures you set as default for New messages or Replies/forwards into your mailbox. Those follow you to other Windows PCs and to Outlook on the web.
• Signatures that aren't set as a default don't roam. They stay on that PC under an entry called Signatures on this device. You can still insert them from Message > Signature, but you can't edit them unless you attach them to one of your accounts.

So the rule of thumb is: if you want a signature everywhere, make it a default for an account.

What roaming does not cover, as of October 2026:

• Outlook mobile (iPhone, iPad, Android): the apps keep their own signature. A Microsoft Q&A moderator confirmed in November 2025 that roaming signatures aren't supported there. Set it up separately with our Outlook mobile signature guide.
• Outlook for Mac: the same answer says the current Mac app uses local signatures and doesn't show roaming ones yet. Set it up on the Mac too.

For IT admins: Microsoft documents a registry value, DisableRoamingSignatures (DWORD, value 1) under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Outlook\Setup\, that switches roaming off for classic Outlook.

Where are Outlook signatures stored?

Classic Outlook for Windows keeps signature files in this folder:

%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Signatures

That is the same as C:\Users\<your user name>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Signatures. To open it, press Windows key + R, paste %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Signatures and press Enter.

Each signature is saved as three files plus a folder:

• Name.htm (the version used in HTML emails)
• Name.rtf (for rich text emails)
• Name.txt (for plain text emails)
• Name_files (a folder holding the signature's images)

To back up or move signatures to a new PC, copy the whole Signatures folder and paste it into the same location on the other computer, then restart classic Outlook. With roaming signatures on, your default signatures may already be waiting in your mailbox.

New Outlook for Windows and Outlook on the web don't keep signature files on your PC. The signatures are stored in your mailbox on Microsoft's servers, which is why there is no folder to open. To copy a signature out of new Outlook, open it in Settings > Accounts > Signatures, select everything in the editor and copy it.

If your signatures "disappeared" after an update, check two places before recreating them: the Signatures on this device entry in classic Outlook, and Settings > Accounts > Signatures in Outlook on the web. In a recent Microsoft Q&A thread about exactly this, the cause was roaming signatures saving to the mailbox instead of the folder above.

A quick checklist after you save

• Send yourself a new email and a reply. Check that the right signature appears on each.
• Open the test on your phone and in a different app (Gmail, Apple Mail) if you can.
• Check the logo isn't arriving as an attachment.
• Set up the mobile app separately, because it won't sync.
• If you also use Gmail, here's how to change your Gmail signature.

Not sure what to put in it? Our guide to a professional email signature covers what to include and in which order, and the email signature examples page shows finished designs for different jobs.

FAQ

Why doesn't my new signature show up in the email I already have open?

Classic Outlook doesn't add a newly created default signature to a message that was already open when you created it. Microsoft calls this out in its own instructions. Insert it by hand from Message > Signature, or close the draft and start a new email. New drafts will get the signature automatically.

How do I add a signature in new Outlook?

Select Settings (the gear icon), then Accounts > Signatures. Choose the account, select Add signature, name it, type or paste your signature, choose whether it goes on new messages and replies, and select Save. The steps are identical in Outlook on the web.

Where is the signature setting in Outlook 365?

It depends on which Outlook app you open with your Microsoft 365 account. In classic Outlook for Windows it's File > Options > Mail > Signatures. In new Outlook for Windows and in Outlook on the web it's Settings > Accounts > Signatures. On a Mac it's Outlook > Settings > Signatures.

Can I add my signature to meeting invitations?

Automatic signatures apply to emails, not calendar invites. In classic Outlook you can insert one by hand from Insert > Signature in the meeting window. In new Outlook, a Microsoft Q&A answer from March 2025 says there is no signature option for invitations, so paste your signature into the invite text yourself.

Why does my signature look different for the person who receives it?

Usually because of how it was built. Signatures typed in Outlook's editor with custom fonts, or with images inserted from your PC, can change in other email apps: fonts fall back to defaults and images arrive as attachments. A table-based HTML signature with standard fonts and hosted images holds up best. Our Outlook signature not showing guide covers the common fixes.

Will my Outlook signature appear on my phone?

No. The Outlook apps for iPhone and Android have their own signature setting, and roaming signatures don't reach them as of October 2026. Open the app's Settings > Signature and set it up there. Our Outlook mobile signature guide has the steps.

How do I copy my Outlook signature to another computer?

With a Microsoft 365 or Outlook.com mailbox and roaming signatures, your default signatures follow you automatically to other Windows PCs and Outlook on the web. For classic Outlook files, copy the %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Signatures folder to the same location on the new PC and restart Outlook.