Change your signature in Outlook through Settings

Open Outlook and go to File in the top left corner. Select Options from the menu. In the Options window, click Mail on the left sidebar, then scroll down and click Signatures. You'll see a list of your current signatures — select the one you want to change, edit the text in the box below, and click Save. Close the Options window and your signature is updated.

The signature you change here will appear at the bottom of new emails you compose. If you have multiple email accounts in Outlook, you can create different signatures for each one. When you're done editing, Outlook saves the change immediately — you don't need to restart the program.

Key Takeaways

  • Access your signatures through File > Options > Mail > Signatures in the desktop version of Outlook.
  • You can edit text, add formatting like bold or italics, and include links or images in your signature.
  • If you have multiple email accounts, create separate signatures and assign each one to the correct account.
  • Set a default signature for new emails and a different one for replies if you want them to differ.
  • Web-based Outlook (Outlook.com) uses a different path: Settings > View all Outlook settings > Mail > Compose and reply.

Add formatting, images, or links to your signature

When you're in the signature editor, you can do more than type plain text. Use the toolbar above the text box to make words bold, italic, or underlined. You can change the font, font size, and text color. If you want to add a clickable link, highlight the text you want to link, click the link icon in the toolbar, and paste the URL.

To insert an image — like a company logo — click the image icon in the toolbar and browse to the file on your computer. The image will appear in your signature on every email you send. Keep images small so they don't make your email slow to load or hard to read on phones.

Set different signatures for new emails and replies

Outlook lets you use one signature for emails you start fresh and a different one for when you reply to someone. In the Signatures window, after you've created or edited your signature, look for the dropdown menus at the bottom labeled New messages and Replies and forwards. Select which signature you want for each action.

Many people use a full signature with contact details for new emails but a shorter version for replies. This keeps your inbox cleaner while still giving new contacts your full information.

Assign signatures to specific email accounts

If you have more than one email account set up in Outlook, you can assign a different signature to each one. In the Signatures window, create a signature for each account. Then use the dropdown menu that says E-mail account to select which account the signature belongs to. Set the default signature for that account in the New messages dropdown below.

This is useful if you have a work email and a personal email, or if you manage multiple business accounts. Outlook will automatically use the right signature based on which account you're sending from.

Change your signature in Outlook on the web

If you use Outlook through a web browser (Outlook.com or your company's web version), the path is different. Click the gear icon in the top right corner and select View all Outlook settings. Go to Mail > Compose and reply. Scroll down to the Email signature section, type or paste your signature, and click Save at the bottom of the page.

Web-based Outlook doesn't offer as many formatting options as the desktop version, but you can still add basic formatting and links. Changes save automatically, so you don't need to do anything else.

Troubleshoot a signature that isn't showing up

If you've created a signature but it's not appearing on your emails, check that you've set it as the default. Go back to File > Options > Mail > Signatures and make sure the signature is selected in the New messages dropdown. If it's blank there, select your signature from the list and click the dropdown again.

Another common issue: if you're replying to an email, Outlook uses the Replies and forwards signature instead of the New messages one. If you want the same signature on replies, set it in both dropdowns. If your signature still doesn't appear after checking these settings, close Outlook completely and reopen it — sometimes the program needs to refresh.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use different signatures for different recipients?

Outlook doesn't have a built-in way to automatically change your signature based on who you're emailing. You can create multiple signatures and manually select which one to use each time you compose an email, but there's no rule-based automation for this.

What happens to my signature if I update Outlook?

Your signatures are stored locally on your computer and won't be affected by updates. After you update Outlook, your signatures will still be there. If you're switching to a new computer, you'll need to recreate them or export them from your old installation.

Can I include HTML code in my signature?

The desktop version of Outlook doesn't have a direct HTML editor for signatures, but you can paste formatted text from other programs. Web-based Outlook also doesn't support raw HTML entry. If you need complex formatting, create the signature in a word processor, format it there, and paste it into Outlook.

How do I remove a signature I'm no longer using?

Go to File > Options > Mail > Signatures, select the signature you want to delete from the list, and click the Delete button. Make sure you're not deleting a signature that's still set as your default for new messages or replies.

Will my signature appear the same on all devices?

Signatures created in the desktop version of Outlook won't automatically sync to Outlook on your phone or tablet. You'll need to set up signatures separately in the mobile app. Web-based Outlook signatures do sync across devices since they're stored in your account settings.