Quick answer
Add a signature (new Outlook for Windows, Outlook on the web and Outlook.com):
- Select Settings (the gear icon).
- Go to Accounts → Signatures.
- Select Add signature and give it a name.
- Type or paste your signature in the box.
- Tick the boxes to use it on new messages and on replies and forwards.
- Select Save.
Change or update it: same place, Settings → Accounts → Signatures, select Edit signature next to it, make your changes and Save. Using classic Outlook, a Mac or the phone app? Jump to classic Outlook, Mac or mobile.
No signature yet? Make one in about a minute with our free email signature generator. It’s free, with no sign-up.
Which Outlook do you have?
Outlook comes in several versions, and the signature settings are in a different place in each one. That’s why so many guides seem wrong: they were written for another version.
- New Outlook for Windows: a simpler window with a gear icon (Settings) at the top right. It looks like Outlook on the web.
- Classic Outlook for Windows: the older desktop app with a File tab and a full ribbon.
- Outlook on the web and Outlook.com: Outlook in your browser, for a work Microsoft 365 account or a personal Outlook.com, Hotmail or Live address.
- Outlook for Mac: the Mac app, with an Outlook menu at the top of the screen.
- Outlook mobile: the app on iPhone, iPad or Android.
Microsoft’s own tip: if the new Outlook steps below don’t match what you see, you may not be on new Outlook yet, so use the classic Outlook steps.
Make the signature first
Outlook’s signature box has basic formatting buttons. A photo, logo, social icons or a booking button are easier to build elsewhere and paste in.
Our free email signature generator has 36 designs. Answer a few questions, pick a design and click Copy signature, then paste it into Outlook’s signature box with Ctrl+V (Windows) or Cmd+V (Mac).
Generator signatures are made with simple tables and inline styles, the format Outlook reads reliably, and their images load from web addresses. Classic Outlook on Windows shows round photos as squares, so every design is built to look right either way. After saving, send yourself a test email.
How to add a signature in new Outlook for Windows
- Select Settings (gear icon).
- Select Accounts → Signatures.
- If you have more than one account in Outlook, choose the account the signature is for.
- Select Add signature and give it a name you’ll recognize.
- Type and format your signature, or paste the one you copied from the generator.
- At the bottom, tick the boxes to add it automatically to new messages and to replies and forwards. Leave them unticked if you’d rather add it by hand.
- Select Save.
Add it to one email by hand: in a new message, go to the Message tab and select Signature, then pick the one you want.
Microsoft notes that if you use both Outlook and Outlook on the web with a Microsoft account, you need to create the signature in both (Microsoft Support).
How to add a signature in Outlook on the web and Outlook.com
This covers Outlook in a browser, for Microsoft 365 work accounts and personal Outlook.com, Hotmail and Live addresses. The steps are the same as new Outlook.
- Select Settings (gear icon) at the top of the page.
- Select Accounts → Signatures.
- Select Add signature and name it.
- Type or paste your signature.
- Tick the boxes for new messages and for replies and forwards.
- Select Save.
Some older guides send you to “View all Outlook settings → Compose and reply”. Microsoft’s current path is Settings → Accounts → Signatures.
How to add a signature in classic Outlook for Windows
Create it
- Open a new email, then select Message → Signature → Signatures. (You can also get there from File → Options → Mail → Signatures.)
- In the E-mail account drop-down, choose the account for this signature.
- Under Select signature to edit, choose New and type a name.
- Under Edit signature, type your signature or paste the one from the generator.
- Under Choose default signature, pick it for New messages and for Replies/forwards (or choose “(none)”).
- Select OK.
Classic Outlook doesn’t add the new signature to the email you opened to create it. It starts with the next one.
Add a logo or picture
In the Signatures window, select the signature, click the Image button above the edit box, find the file and click Insert. To resize it, right-click the image, choose Picture, then set the size on the Size tab with “Lock aspect ratio” ticked.
Classic Outlook keeps signatures on your computer, so a signature you make here may not show on your other devices or in Outlook on the web.
How to add a signature in Outlook for Mac
- On the Outlook menu, select Settings.
- Under Mail, select Signatures.
- Select the add (+) button, or rename the default entry.
- Type a name, then type or paste your signature in the editor.
- Under Choose which signature appears, select the account and set the signature For new messages and For replies or forwards.
- Close the Signatures window.
To add it to one email by hand, click in the message and choose Signature on the ribbon. In legacy Outlook for Mac the path is Outlook → Settings → Email → Signatures; Microsoft is ending support for legacy Outlook for Mac in October 2026 (Microsoft Support).
How to add a signature in the Outlook app
On iPhone, iPad and Android:
- Open the Outlook app and go to Settings.
- Under Mail, tap Signature.
- Type your signature. With more than one account, turn on Per Account Signature and enter one for each.
The app’s signature is separate from the one on your computer, so set it in both places.
How to change or update your signature in Outlook
- New Outlook and Outlook on the web: Settings → Accounts → Signatures → select Edit signature next to the one you want → change it → Save.
- Classic Outlook: File → Options → Mail → Signatures → select the signature → edit it in the Edit signature box → Save → OK.
- Outlook for Mac: Outlook → Settings → Signatures → select it under “Signature name” → Edit.
- Outlook app: Settings → Signature → edit the text.
Switching to a new design? Make it in the generator, click Copy signature, then in Outlook select everything in the old signature, paste over it and save. If you use Outlook on more than one device or app, update each one.
Outlook signature not working?
| What you see | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Signature on new emails, not on replies | No default set for replies and forwards | Turn on the replies-and-forwards option for that signature (new Outlook/web: the checkbox; classic: “Replies/forwards”; Mac: “For replies or forwards”) |
| Not on the email you’re writing | In classic Outlook, a new signature starts with the next email | Insert it by hand: Message → Signature, or open a new email |
| Signature only on one computer or app | Classic Outlook stores signatures on the device; new Outlook and the web each keep their own | Create it in each Outlook you use |
| Images show as attachments or don’t appear | Image added in a way Outlook treats as an attachment | Insert it with the Image button, or use a signature whose images load from a web address |
| Layout looks wrong after pasting | Complex formatting didn’t carry over | Paste a table-based signature (like the generator’s), or build tables in Word and paste them in |
| Steps don’t match your screen | You’re on a different Outlook version | Check which Outlook you have and use those steps |
Frequently asked questions
How do I add a signature in Outlook?
In new Outlook or Outlook on the web, select Settings, then Accounts and Signatures. Select Add signature, name it, type or paste your signature, tick the boxes for new messages and replies, and select Save. In classic Outlook, open a new email and go to Message, Signature, Signatures.
How do I change my signature in Outlook?
In new Outlook or on the web, go to Settings, Accounts, Signatures and select Edit signature next to it. In classic Outlook, go to File, Options, Mail, Signatures, select it and edit it. On a Mac, go to Outlook, Settings, Signatures, select it and choose Edit. Save when you’re done.
How do I make my signature automatic in Outlook?
Set it as the default. In new Outlook and on the web, tick the boxes for new messages and for replies and forwards. In classic Outlook, pick it under Choose default signature. On a Mac, set it For new messages and For replies or forwards for each account.
Why is my signature not showing on replies in Outlook?
The signature is usually set for new messages only. Turn on the replies-and-forwards option for it in your signature settings and save. In classic Outlook, a brand-new signature also doesn’t appear on the email you had open while creating it.
Why are the images missing from my Outlook signature?
Images that Outlook treats as attachments, or that aren’t available online, often don’t show. Insert pictures with the Image button in the signature editor, or use a signature whose images load from a web address, like the ones our free generator makes.
How do I add a logo to my Outlook signature?
Open your signature settings, select the signature and use the image button in the editor to insert the logo, then save. In classic Outlook you can resize it by right-clicking the image and choosing Picture, then Size. Keep it small, so it doesn’t take over the email.
Do I need to set my signature again in Outlook on the web?
Yes, usually. Microsoft says that if you use both Outlook and Outlook on the web with a Microsoft account, you need to create the signature in both. Classic Outlook stores signatures on your computer, and the phone app has its own.
Can I add a signature in the Outlook mobile app?
Yes. Open Settings in the app, tap Signature under Mail and type your signature. If you have several accounts, turn on Per Account Signature to give each one its own.
Next steps
- Make your signature with the free generator: 36 designs, Copy button, no sign-up.
- Want ideas? See email signature examples for realtors, loan officers, insurance agents and more.
- Use Gmail too? See how to add a signature in Gmail.
- Before you hit send, run the email through our free email spam checker.