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How to add an email signature in Outlook
Adding an email signature in Outlook is quick once you are in the right place — but Outlook is really four products, and a signature set in one does not appear in another. This guide routes you to your version, then covers new Outlook, classic Windows, the web, Mac, and pasting HTML correctly.
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TL;DR
In new Outlook or Outlook on the web, go to Settings → Accounts → Signatures → Add signature, name it, type or paste your signature, tick the boxes for new messages and replies/forwards, then Save. In classic Outlook for Windows, open a new email → Message → Signature → Signatures → New. It takes under two minutes.
Which Outlook do you have? The signature steps depend on it — following the wrong ones is the single most common mistake here.
- New Outlook or Outlook on the web — a "New Outlook" toggle in the top right, simplified ribbon.
- Classic Outlook for Windows — the full ribbon with File → Options.
- Outlook for Mac — the macOS app.
How to add an email signature in new Outlook and Outlook on the web
New Outlook for Windows and Outlook on the web share the same flow. These steps follow Microsoft's official Outlook documentation , so the labels match what you see.
- Open Settings In new Outlook or Outlook on the web, select Settings (the gear icon) at the top of the page.
- Go to Accounts → Signatures In Settings, select Accounts, then select Signatures.
- Choose the account If you have more than one account, pick the account this signature is for.
- Add a signature Select Add signature and give it a name, for example "Main".
- Enter your signature Type or paste your signature in the editing box and format it with the toolbar.
- Set the defaults Use the checkboxes to apply the signature to new messages and to replies and forwards.
- Save and test Select Save, then send a test message to yourself to confirm it renders, including any image.
How to add a signature in classic Outlook for Windows
Classic Outlook uses a different path. Open a new email message, go to the Message tab, select Signature, then Signatures. Under "Select signature to edit," choose New, name it, and compose it in the "Edit signature" box.
Under "Choose default signature," pick your account from the dropdown, then set the "New messages" and "Replies/forwards" dropdowns to your signature and select OK. To add a logo, use the Image button in that dialog, then right-click the image and choose Picture → Size to resize.
One quirk worth knowing: classic Outlook does not add the new signature to the message you opened to reach the dialog. Add it to that message by hand from the Message tab; every new message after that gets it automatically.
How to add a signature in Outlook for Mac
Outlook for Mac keeps signatures under Outlook → Settings → Signatures, where you add a signature, name it, edit it, and assign it as the default for an account. Microsoft maintains a dedicated Outlook for Mac signature article linked from its main signature documentation if your menu layout differs by version.
How to paste an HTML signature into Outlook
No version of Outlook has a field for raw HTML code. Paste markup and you will see the tags as text. Instead, copy the rendered signature — the visual output, not the code — and paste that into the signature editor. Outlook keeps the links, fonts, and images from a rendered paste.
The reliable source for that output is an editor that exports an Outlook-safe signature. You can open the editor, customize one of the email signature templates, copy the result, and paste it using the steps for your version above.
Two Outlook-specific cautions. First, Microsoft notes that if you use both desktop Outlook and Outlook on the web, you must create the signature in each one; they do not sync. Second, Outlook is the strictest mail client for images: host the image at a public URL so it is not blocked or broken for recipients.
Common Outlook signature problems
Most failures trace back to four things:
- Wrong version edited: steps for classic Outlook were followed in new Outlook, or the reverse.
- Set in one product only: the signature exists in desktop Outlook but not Outlook on the web, or the reverse.
- No default set: the signature was created but never assigned to new messages or to replies/forwards.
- Broken image: the image was a local file or temporary link instead of a public host.
Not sure what belongs in the signature itself? The anatomy of an email signature covers what to include and what to cut. Setting up Gmail or Apple Mail too? The Gmail signature guide and the Apple Mail signature guide cover the equivalent steps there.
Key takeaways
- New Outlook + web: Settings → Accounts → Signatures → Add signature → set defaults → Save.
- Classic Windows: new email → Message → Signature → Signatures → New → set defaults.
- Desktop Outlook and Outlook on the web do not sync — set the signature in both.
- Paste the rendered signature, not raw HTML; host images publicly so Outlook does not block them.
Build an Outlook-ready signature
The editor exports a signature that pastes cleanly into every Outlook version, with hosted images so nothing breaks for the recipient.
Build your signatureQuestions about adding an email signature in Outlook
How do I add an email signature in Outlook?
In new Outlook or Outlook on the web, go to Settings → Accounts → Signatures → Add signature, name it, enter your signature, tick the new-messages and replies/forwards boxes, then Save. In classic Outlook for Windows, open a new email → Message → Signature → Signatures → New.
Why is my Outlook signature different on the web and the desktop app?
Because they are separate products. Microsoft confirms that if you use both desktop Outlook and Outlook on the web, you must create the signature in each one. Setting it in only one place is the most common reason a signature seems to disappear.
How do I know if I have new Outlook or classic Outlook?
New Outlook has a "New Outlook" toggle in the top right and a simplified ribbon. Classic Outlook has the full ribbon with File → Options. The signature path differs: new Outlook uses Settings → Accounts → Signatures; classic uses Message → Signature → Signatures.
How do I add an image or logo to an Outlook signature?
In new Outlook and the web, use the formatting toolbar in the signature editor. In classic Outlook, use the Image button in the Signatures dialog, then right-click the image → Picture → Size to resize. Host the image at a public URL so Outlook does not block it.
How do I paste an HTML signature into Outlook?
Outlook has no raw-HTML field. Copy the rendered signature (not the code) from your generator, click into the signature editor, and paste. Outlook keeps the layout, links, and hosted images from a rendered paste — it shows tags as text if you paste code.
Why isn't my Outlook signature showing on new emails?
The default is not set. In new Outlook and the web, tick the "new messages" checkbox. In classic Outlook, under Choose default signature, pick the account and set the New messages dropdown. Replies and forwards are a separate setting in every version.
Does classic Outlook add the signature to the email I have open?
No. Microsoft notes that classic Outlook does not add a newly created signature to the message you opened to reach the dialog. Add it to that message manually from the Message tab; future new messages get it automatically.
Can I have different signatures for different accounts in Outlook?
Yes. All versions support multiple signatures and account-specific defaults. In classic Outlook, the Choose default signature section has an account dropdown. In new Outlook and the web, pick the account under Settings → Accounts → Signatures.
How do I change or edit an existing Outlook signature?
In new Outlook and the web: Settings → Accounts → Signatures → Edit signature → make changes → Save. In classic Outlook: File → Options → Mail → Signatures, or open a new email → Message → Signature → Signatures, edit, then OK.
Why are images broken in my Outlook signature?
Outlook is the strictest mail client for images. A signature image must be hosted at a stable public URL; images added as local files or temporary links break for recipients. A generator that hosts the image for you avoids this entirely.