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How to Set Up an Email Signature in Outlook
Introduction
An email signature is the block of text (and sometimes images) that appears at the bottom of your emails. A good signature saves time, looks professional, and makes it easy for people to contact you. It can also include useful extras like your job title, phone number, website, and company address.
Outlook lets you create one or more signatures and choose when they appear. For example:
- One signature for new emails (full details)
- A shorter signature for replies and forwards
- Different signatures for different email accounts
In this guide you will learn how to set up an email signature in Outlook, step by step, including:
- Outlook for Windows (Classic)
- Outlook for Mac
- The “New Outlook” for Windows
- Outlook on the web (Microsoft 365 / Outlook.com)
- Outlook mobile (iPhone/Android)
You’ll also learn how to:
- Make signatures look tidy
- Add a logo safely
- Fix common formatting problems
- Keep signatures consistent across devices
1) What makes a good email signature?
A clear signature is simple and easy to read. Most people only need:
Full signature (for new emails)
- Name
- Job title
- Company name
- Phone number (optional)
- Website
- Address (optional)
- A short tagline (optional)
Short signature (for replies)
- Name
- Company
- Maybe one contact method
Try not to overload your signature with too many images, slogans, or links. Long signatures can distract from the email and sometimes trigger formatting issues.
2) Before you start: know which Outlook you are using
Outlook signatures depend on which version you use. There are four common ones:
- Outlook for Windows (Classic desktop app)
- New Outlook for Windows (a newer version with a different look)
- Outlook on the web (in a browser, part of Microsoft 365)
- Outlook mobile (iPhone/Android)
Many organisations use a mix. That’s why signatures sometimes look different on different devices.
3) Set up a signature in Outlook for Windows (Classic)
This is the most common setup in many workplaces.
Step A: Open the Signatures window
- Open Outlook.
- Click File (top left).
- Click Options.
- Choose Mail.
- Click Signatures…
You’ll see the “Signatures and Stationery” window.
Step B: Create a new signature
- Click New.
- Type a name (example: “Full signature”).
- Click OK.
Step C: Type your signature
In the large text box, type your signature. For example:
Your Name
Job Title | Company Name
t: 01234 567890
w: www.website address
You can format it using the mini toolbar:
- font
- size
- bold
- colour
- alignment
- hyperlinks
Step D: Set defaults (new emails vs replies)
On the right side you’ll see “Choose default signature”.
- New messages: choose your full signature
- Replies/forwards: choose a shorter one (or the same, if you prefer)
If you have more than one email account in Outlook, you can set different defaults for each account.
Step E: Save
Click OK, then OK again.
Test it
Create a new email. Your signature should appear automatically.
4) Set up a signature in the New Outlook for Windows
The New Outlook has a different path:
- Open New Outlook.
- Click the Settings icon (top right).
- Choose Mail.
- Select Compose and reply.
- Go to Email signature.
You can:
- create signatures
- choose defaults for new messages and replies
- decide whether to include it automatically
Tip: New Outlook sometimes handles formatting slightly differently. If something looks odd, keep the design simple and test with a few emails.
5) Set up a signature in Outlook on the web (Microsoft 365)
This is important if you use Outlook in your browser, or if you want a signature that follows you when you log in elsewhere.
Step-by-step
- Sign in to Outlook on the web.
- Click the Settings icon (top right).
- Choose Mail.
- Click Compose and reply.
- In Email signature, type your signature.
- Tick:
- “Automatically include my signature on new messages”
- “Automatically include my signature on messages I forward or reply to” (optional)
- Click Save.
This signature is used in the web version. In many organisations, it does not automatically sync back to the classic desktop app.
6) Set up a signature in Outlook for Mac
- Open Outlook on Mac.
- Go to Outlook > Settings.
- Choose Signatures.
- Click + to add a new signature.
- Type and format your signature.
- Choose which account it belongs to (if you have more than one).
- Set it as the default for new messages and replies if needed.
7) Set up a signature on Outlook mobile (iPhone/Android)
Mobile signatures are usually plain text, which is often fine.
- Open the Outlook app.
- Tap your profile icon (top left).
- Tap the settings gear.
- Scroll to Signature.
- Type your signature.
- Save and exit.
If you want the signature to match your desktop signature exactly, be aware that mobile formatting is limited. A short, simple signature works best on phones.
8) How to add a logo (without making a mess)
Logos can look nice, but they are the #1 cause of signature problems (weird spacing, huge images, broken alignment).
If you add a logo, keep it simple:
- Use a small image size (don’t paste a massive logo and hope Outlook shrinks it nicely)
- Place it under your text, or to the side in a small table layout
- Test on desktop and mobile
Best method in Outlook (Classic)
- In the signature editor, click where you want the logo.
- Click the Picture icon.
- Choose the image file.
- After inserting, click the image and resize it by dragging a corner.
- Consider adding a hyperlink:
- Right-click the image > Link > enter your website
Avoid copying logos directly from websites
Copy/paste can bring hidden formatting and make the signature behave badly. Inserting the image from file is usually cleaner.
9) The “table trick” for neat alignment
If you want a tidy “logo on the left, text on the right” layout, a table is the easiest approach.
- Insert a 2-column table in the signature editor
- Put the logo in the left cell
- Put text in the right cell
- Remove table borders
This helps keep everything lined up, especially when Outlook tries to reflow your signature on different screens.
10) Common formatting issues (and fixes)
Problem: extra blank lines in the signature
Fix:
- Remove empty lines
- Use Shift+Enter for a smaller line break (instead of Enter)
Problem: fonts change when the email is sent
Fix:
- Use standard fonts like Calibri or Arial
- Keep sizes consistent
- Avoid mixing fonts copied from other documents
Problem: images appear as attachments
This can happen depending on how Outlook sends the message.
Fix:
- Ensure your email format is HTML:
- Outlook Classic: File > Options > Mail > Compose messages in this format: HTML
- Reinsert images using the picture button instead of copy/paste
Problem: signature looks fine in Outlook but messy for recipients
Fix:
- Keep the layout simple
- Use a table for alignment
- Avoid large images and fancy formatting
- Send a test email to a Gmail address and a colleague to check how it renders
11) Should you use different signatures for new emails and replies?
Often yes. It keeps long threads readable.
Example full signature (new emails):
Your Name
Job Title | Company Name
t: 01234 567890
e: Email address
w: www.website name
Example short signature (replies):
First Name | Company Name
www.website name
This is especially useful if you send lots of back-and-forth emails.
12) Keeping signatures consistent across a company
If you’re setting signatures for a team, you’ll usually want:
- one standard format
- the same fonts, sizes, and layout
- consistent job titles and contact fields
In Microsoft 365 environments, some organisations use central signature tools or policies. But for a small team, clear guidance and a simple template often works well.
13) Quick checklist for a strong signature
- Name and role are clear
- Company name is included
- Contact method is up to date
- Website link works
- Design is simple and readable
- Logo is small and tested (if used)
- Works in replies and forwards
- Works on mobile and web view
Conclusion
Setting up an email signature in Outlook is straightforward once you know where the settings live. The main challenge is keeping the signature tidy and consistent across different versions of Outlook. Start with a clean text signature, then add extras like logos only if you really need them. Always send a few test emails to check how it looks for other people.
If you’d like to build confidence in Outlook, including email organisation, rules, folders, calendars, and productivity features, explore our Outlook courses:
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