Multiple signatures in Gmail: create several, set defaults and switch while you write

Multiple signatures in Gmail live in one list under your settings. Google says you can set a default for new emails you compose or reply to, and pick a different signature with each email you send. These steps follow Google’s Gmail signature help page, read in October 2026. Where that page says nothing, this article says so, because Gmail’s labels change more often than most people’s signatures do.

Set up multiple signatures in Gmail in five steps

Google’s page describes the computer version of Gmail. Here is what it lists, in order.

1. Open Gmail on a computer.
2. At the top right, click Settings, then See all settings.
3. In the Signature section, add your signature text in the box. Google says you can format it by adding an image or changing the text style.
4. Repeat for each extra signature you want. To change a signature’s name later, click Edit next to it.
5. At the bottom of the page, click Save Changes.

Step 4 needs an honest footnote. The page confirms that Gmail supports different signatures, but it does not name the button that starts a second one. Look inside the Signature section for the control on your screen, and read its label rather than trusting ours or anyone else’s from memory.

Each signature can hold up to 10,000 characters, according to Google. An image counts toward that limit, and Google’s tip for an error is to resize the image.

What the help page says about multiple signatures in Gmail

Before you rely on a feature, it helps to know which parts are documented. This table separates what the page states from what it leaves open.

Question	On Google’s page?
Can I use different signatures for different emails?	Yes: you can choose a different signature with each email you send
Can I set a default for new emails and replies?	Yes: “set a signature default for new emails you compose or reply to”
Can I swap signatures while writing?	Yes: Insert signature at the bottom of the compose window
Is there a different signature for each address?	Yes, when you use “Send mail as”
How many signatures can I have?	Not stated
The exact names of the default drop-downs	Not stated
Whether a swap replaces the old signature or adds a second	Not stated

The last row is the one to test yourself. Write a draft, swap signatures once, and look at the bottom of the message before you send it to anyone.

Choose defaults for new emails and for replies

The page says you can pick a default signature for new emails and for the emails you reply to. That is the setting that makes multiple signatures in Gmail useful, because it lets the right one appear without you touching anything.

A split that works for many offices is a full signature for new messages and a short one for replies, since a reply thread already shows who you are. Whether a signature sits above or below the quoted text of a reply is a different question, and where the signature goes relative to quoted text has its own guide. Google’s page does not describe that placement.

If you also want to change the wording of an existing signature rather than add another, changing a Gmail signature covers the edit route.

Switch while you write: Insert signature

Google’s tip: if you want to change your signature while you write an email, click Insert signature at the bottom of the window. Pick the signature you want from the list.

This is the quickest way to use multiple signatures in Gmail when one person plays several parts. A founder who answers sales questions in the morning and supplier invoices after lunch does not need to change any settings between the two.

A worked example of multiple signatures in Gmail for one person

Here is a naming scheme for someone who wears three hats. The names are written for a human scanning a short list, so they say what the signature is for, not what it contains.

Signature name	Default for	What it holds
Full	New emails	Name, role, company, direct line, website
Reply	Replies	Name and company only
Accounts	Neither (inserted by hand)	Name, finance role, payment query hours

Below is how the “Full” signature might look when drawn by emailfooter. The company and person are invented.

Example only. The company and person are made up. A signature like this is the long one; the Reply version would drop everything but the name and company.

For people who truly hold different roles at one company, a signature for each role goes deeper than this one example does.

One signature for each address

If you send from several addresses in one account through “Send mail as”, Google says you can add a different signature for each address. On the Settings page, use the drop-down menu above the signature text box to choose the address.

No drop-down? Google’s fix is to open the Accounts and Import settings page and check that your addresses are listed in the “Send mail as” section. This matters for multiple signatures in Gmail because the list you edit belongs to whichever address is selected, so a signature that vanishes may just be sitting under a different address.

Edit, rename or delete one signature

Google lists the same route for all three jobs. Open Gmail, click Settings, then See all settings. Under “General,” scroll to “Signature.”

• Edit: click the signature, change the text, and click Save Changes.
• Rename: click Edit beside the name.
• Delete: click the signature, click Delete, then Delete again to confirm, and finish with Save Changes.

Deleting is permanent in the sense that the page offers no undo or restore step, so copy the text somewhere before you confirm. The page says nothing about recovering a deleted signature.

When multiple signatures in Gmail show the wrong one

Work through these before you decide that Gmail is broken.

1. Save Changes was skipped. Every route on Google’s page ends with it.
2. The wrong address was selected. See the “Send mail as” drop-down above.
3. You are on a phone. Google’s Android and iPhone pages describe a separate Mobile signature that applies only to mail sent from the Gmail app, one per account, and say new messages use your computer signature if you make no mobile one.
4. It is hidden. Google’s troubleshooting page says a signature can sit below the body of a message, separated by two dashes. Scroll down and click Show trimmed content.
5. Formatting is confusing Gmail. The same troubleshooting page offers Remove formatting in the Signature section for a signature that does not display correctly.

Notice that nothing here says Gmail limits you to a fixed count of signatures. If you hit a ceiling, check the live screen and not a number in a blog post, including this one.

Multiple signatures in Gmail across a company

Each person sets up their own Gmail list, so ten staff can end up with ten versions of “Full”. A company can write down the exact text and the order of the steps above. emailfooter is a free WordPress plugin that keeps one signature design for everyone and gives each employee numbered steps for their mail app. It does not push signatures into mailboxes, so each person still pastes theirs in, and it is English-only for now. Used well, multiple signatures in Gmail stay a personal choice inside a shared design.

Frequently asked questions

How many multiple signatures in Gmail can I have?

Google’s help page does not state a number. It does state a limit of 10,000 characters for a signature.

Can I use multiple signatures in Gmail on my phone?

Google’s Android and iPhone pages describe one Mobile signature per account, not a list to choose from.

How do I switch between signatures while writing an email?

Click Insert signature at the bottom of the compose window and choose one.

Can I set different signatures for new emails and replies?

Yes. Google says you can choose a signature default for new emails and for emails you reply to, though its page does not name the settings.