How to create email signature in Outlook (new, classic and web)

How to create email signature in Outlook depends on which Outlook you have. New Outlook and Outlook on the web use Settings, then Accounts, then Signatures. Classic Outlook for Windows uses the Signature button on the Message tab of a new email. The steps below follow Microsoft’s Outlook signature help page, which we checked in October 2026, and add the practical points around images and defaults.

How to create email signature in Outlook (new Outlook)

1. Select Settings (the cog icon).
2. Select Accounts, then Signatures.
3. If you have more than one account, select the one you want.
4. Select Add signature and give it a name.
5. Type and format your signature in the editing box.
6. Use the tick boxes to choose whether it is added to new messages, to replies and forwards, or both.
7. Select Save.

To add the signature to a single message by hand, open a new message and choose Insert, then Signature, then pick the one you want.

How to create email signature in Outlook on the web

Outlook on the web (including Outlook.com) uses the same path as new Outlook:

1. Select Settings, then Accounts, then Signatures.
2. Select Add signature and name it.
3. Type and format the signature.
4. Choose whether it applies to new messages, replies and forwards, or both.
5. Select Save.

To insert one manually, open a message, select the Message tab, then the Signature icon, and choose from your saved signatures.

How to create email signature in Outlook (classic for Windows)

1. Open a new email message.
2. On the Message tab, select Signature, then Signatures.
3. In the Signatures and Stationery window, pick your email account from the drop-down.
4. Under Select signature to edit, select New, then type a name and select OK.
5. Under Edit signature, write your signature. You can use formatting, links and images.
6. Under Choose default signature, pick which signature is used for new messages and which for replies and forwards.
7. Select OK.

Microsoft’s page notes that signatures stored this way are kept on the device you are using. If you work on two computers, you need to repeat the setup on each. That is a regular surprise for people who move between a desktop and a laptop.

How to add a logo or picture to an Outlook signature

In classic Outlook, select the image button in the signature editor, find the file, and select Insert. You can right-click the picture to resize it and keep its proportions. In new Outlook and on the web, use the image control in the editing box.

Three rules save a lot of trouble:

• Keep the image small. A logo of 150 to 200 pixels wide is plenty, and a small file loads quickly.
• Do not paste a signature from Word. Word adds its own styles, and the result can look different once it is sent.
• Prefer a hosted image to an uploaded one. A picture linked from your website is loaded when the reader opens the message, rather than travelling as an attachment on every email.

Here is a layout built to survive Outlook, drawn by emailfooter:

A table-based layout with a hosted logo. The company and person are made up.

Classic Outlook draws email using the layout engine from Word, which is why a design that works in Gmail can fall apart there. Layouts built from tables with inline styles tend to survive. The size guide has the numbers.

Why your Outlook signature is not appearing

1. The default is not set. In classic Outlook, check “Choose default signature” for the right account. In new Outlook, check the tick boxes for new messages and for replies.
2. You are using a different account. Signatures are linked to accounts, so a message sent from your second mailbox needs its own.
3. You are on another device. Signatures kept on a device do not follow you to another computer or to your phone.
4. You are writing a plain-text message. Plain text strips formatting and images. Switch the message to HTML.
5. You are using Outlook on a phone. The mobile app has its own signature option in settings.

Add the signature to the Outlook mobile app

Open the Outlook app, go to its settings, choose your account and find the signature option. The mobile signature is usually simple text, so write a short version with your name, title and phone number. Without it, messages sent from your phone leave without any signature.

When many people need the same Outlook signature

Creating one is quick. Keeping fifty the same is the problem, particularly in a mix of classic Outlook, new Outlook and Gmail. There are central tools that write signatures into every mailbox through Microsoft 365. They are convenient and usually priced per person. A cheaper pattern is a shared design that each person installs for themselves, which is what emailfooter does: the company fixes the layout, logo and legal line, and each employee adds their own details and follows numbered steps for Outlook. The general setup guide covers the rest of the mail apps.

Frequently asked questions

How to create email signature in Outlook step by step?

Settings, Accounts, Signatures, Add signature in new Outlook and on the web. In classic Outlook, open a new email, then Message, Signature, Signatures.

How do I add a signature to every Outlook email?

Tick the options for new messages and for replies and forwards when you create the signature, or set the defaults in classic Outlook under “Choose default signature”.

Why does my Outlook signature look different from the one I designed?

Classic Outlook uses the Word layout engine, which handles web layouts differently. Use a signature made from simple tables with inline styles.

Can I use an HTML signature in Outlook?

Yes, but how you add it differs by version, and pasting from a web page or an email works better than pasting from Word. Check the result by sending yourself a test.

Does my Outlook signature work on my phone?

No. The mobile app has its own signature setting.