Your signature appears at the bottom of every email you send

A Gmail signature is a block of text that automatically appears at the end of your emails. It typically includes your name, job title, phone number, or a closing line. You can change it anytime through Gmail's settings, and the new signature will apply to all emails you send going forward.

Gmail lets you create different signatures for different email accounts if you manage multiple addresses. You can also turn your signature off entirely, or set it to appear only on new emails (not replies). The process takes less than a minute once you know where to look.

Key Takeaways

  • Open Gmail settings by clicking the gear icon in the top right, then select "See all settings."
  • Go to the "Signatures" tab and click "Create new" to add a signature or edit an existing one.
  • Type or paste your signature text, then choose which email account it applies to and when it appears.
  • Click "Save Changes" at the bottom of the page to apply your new signature to outgoing emails.
  • Your signature will appear automatically on new emails, but you can delete it from individual messages if needed.

Access Gmail settings and find the Signatures section

Start by opening Gmail and looking for the gear icon in the top right corner of the page. Click it and select "See all settings" from the dropdown menu. This opens the full settings page where all Gmail customization options live.

Once you're in settings, look for the tab labeled "Signatures" near the top of the page. It sits between "Labels" and "Forwarding and POP/IMAP." Click on it to see your current signature (if you have one) and the option to create a new one.

Create a new signature or edit your existing one

If you don't have a signature yet, you'll see a link that says "Create new." Click it and give your signature a name — something like "Work" or "Professional" helps if you plan to create multiple versions. The name is just for your reference and won't appear in your emails.

If you already have a signature, you can click directly in the text box to edit it. Delete the old text and type or paste your new signature. You can format it with bold, italics, links, or even a small image if you want. Gmail's signature editor has basic formatting buttons above the text box, similar to what you see when composing an email.

Choose which account and email type your signature applies to

Below the text box, you'll see a dropdown menu labeled "Default signature." This controls which of your Gmail accounts uses this signature. If you manage multiple email addresses through Gmail, you can create a different signature for each one. Select the account you want this signature to apply to.

You'll also see a checkbox for "Insert this signature before quoted text in replies and forwards." By default, Gmail places your signature after any text you're replying to. If you check this box, your signature will appear before the quoted message instead. Most people leave this unchecked, but it's useful if you prefer your signature to appear higher up in the email thread.

Save your changes and test the new signature

Scroll to the bottom of the settings page and click the blue "Save Changes" button. Gmail will confirm that your settings have been saved. You can now close the settings tab and return to your inbox.

To see your new signature in action, start composing a new email. Click "Compose" and begin typing a message. When you're done, look at the bottom of the compose window — your signature should appear there automatically. If it doesn't show up, go back to settings and double-check that you saved your changes and selected the correct email account.

Remove or disable your signature if you change your mind

If you want to stop using a signature, go back to the Signatures section in settings. Find the signature you want to remove and click the trash icon next to it. Confirm the deletion, then click "Save Changes." Your emails will no longer include a signature.

You can also delete a signature from individual emails without removing it from your settings. When you're composing an email, highlight and delete the signature text before sending. This is useful if you want to keep your signature as the default but occasionally send emails without it.

Add images, links, or formatting to your signature

The Gmail signature editor supports basic formatting. You can make text bold or italic using the buttons above the text box, or highlight text in different colors. You can also insert a hyperlink by selecting text, clicking the link icon, and entering the URL.

To add an image to your signature, click the image icon in the formatting toolbar. You can upload a small logo or photo from your computer, or link to an image hosted online. Keep images small — a signature that's too large or takes too long to load can annoy recipients. Most people stick with text-only signatures or a small company logo.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I have different signatures for different types of emails?

Gmail doesn't let you automatically use different signatures based on recipient or subject line. However, you can create multiple named signatures and manually select which one to use when composing an email. Click the three-dot menu at the bottom of the compose window and look for "Change signature" to switch between them.

Why isn't my signature showing up on my emails?

Check that you selected the correct email account in the "Default signature" dropdown and clicked "Save Changes." Also verify that the signature isn't disabled for replies — if you only want it on new emails, that's a separate setting. If you're using Gmail on a phone app, some mobile clients don't support signatures the same way the web version does.

Can I use HTML code in my signature?

Gmail's signature editor doesn't have a direct HTML mode, but you can paste formatted text from other sources and it will usually retain the formatting. If you need complex HTML, you may need to use a third-party tool or Gmail add-on designed for advanced signatures.

What happens to my signature if I delete my Gmail account?

If you delete your Gmail account, the signature associated with it is deleted as well. If you manage multiple accounts and delete one, only that account's signature is removed. Your other signatures remain unchanged.

Can my signature include my phone number or address?

Yes, you can include any contact information you want in your signature. However, remember that your signature appears on every email you send, including to people outside your organization. Consider what information you're comfortable sharing publicly before adding it to your signature.