Pronouns in email signature blocks are a personal choice. The person types them, in a format the company has fixed so the signatures match, and nobody else adds, changes or removes them. Microsoft’s own help pages say the pronouns feature should be optional, not mandatory. A company still has to decide whether it makes the option available, and that decision is where policies differ.
This page gives five formats, advice on placement and a one-page policy template. We read Microsoft’s page on pronouns on your profile and its pronouns best practices, Google’s admin page on profile editing, an Employers Council article from January 2023, a University of Pennsylvania Career Services post from August 2019 and a University of Kansas notice from July 2025, all in October 2026. This is general information, not legal advice, and the formats and policy wording are ours.
Pronouns in email signature blocks: the short version
- Optional: Microsoft says using the feature should be optional, not mandatory.
- Self-written: pronouns are chosen and typed by the person, never filled in by an administrator.
- One format: if people include them, fix the format and place it in the template.
- Check your rules: public employers and local law can change the answer.
- Where: after the name, in the name line.
Five formats for pronouns in email signature lines
Pick one style and use it for everyone who opts in. Mixed styles look accidental.
| Format | Example | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Brackets after the name | Priya Nair (she/her) | Our default. Short, and clearly separate from the name. |
| Comma after the name | Priya Nair, she/her | Looks like a credential. “Chidi Nwosu, ACA, he/him” is harder to read. |
| Own line under the name | Pronouns: she/her | The most explicit. It costs a line of height. |
| Two sets | Priya Nair (she/they) | For people who use more than one. Leave the choice to them. |
| Capital letters | Priya Nair (She/Her) | Microsoft and the Employers Council use capitals in their examples. Lower case is just as correct, so fix one. |
The Penn post describes pronoun lines as a sign of respect, and compares getting someone’s pronouns right to spelling their name correctly. Keep the line short. Microsoft’s profile field allows 60 characters, spaces included, which is a useful ceiling for a signature too.
Where to place pronouns in email signature layouts
The name line is the natural home, because pronouns describe the person and not the role. Two drawn examples follow, each from a different layout.
|
Brackets after the name, in a ribbon layout. Example only. The company and person are made up.
|
The same format in a compact layout. The company and people are made up.
In emailfooter there is no separate pronoun field. Each person edits their own name, title and department lines, so the name line is where a pronoun goes. If the template joins title and department with a dot, a “Pronouns:” line typed into the department field would sit on that line.
Profile fields are not signature pronouns
Admins sometimes assume that turning on the pronoun field in Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace covers the signature as well. The two are different.
Microsoft’s profile page says that, if the administrator has turned the feature on, pronouns on a profile card are visible to people at your work or school, including guest accounts. The same page says Copilot reads those pronouns when generating text about you. Google’s admin page lets an administrator allow users to edit pronouns and says users can set visibility settings. It also says that clearing the setting deletes all pronoun information that users and guests set, within 48 hours.
A signature has no such audience control. It goes to everyone you write to, inside or outside the company. Microsoft’s best practices page does say that adding pronouns to an email signature is another way to show you value being inclusive, and the same page repeats that sharing is always up to the individual.
Optional, required or banned: pronouns in email signature policy
The Employers Council article, written for employers, says an organisation can require pronouns, prohibit them or make them optional, and that there is no one-size-fits-all answer. Its reasons for each:
- Require: shows an inclusive culture, and lets the company control placement, size and font.
- Optional: avoids pressing anyone who is not comfortable, and the company can still set a standard look for those who opt in.
- Prohibit: keeps the signature uniform, though the article says that works best only if the company allows no other personal additions, such as a favourite quote.
The Penn post gives a first-person account, reported there, from a non-binary employee whose organisation said pronouns were optional but filled them in from memory. The person says a mandatory rule can out someone who is not safe to be out, and that pronouns can change. Its tips are to involve transgender and non-binary staff in the decision, give training, keep usage voluntary and let people write their own.
Rules can also point the other way. On 22 July 2025 the University of Kansas chancellor’s office told staff that, following a Board of Regents directive, employees must remove gender-identifying pronouns from email signature blocks by 31 July 2025. Microsoft’s best practices page asks you to check local laws, regulations and cultural norms, because they may add risk for transgender and non-binary people. If you are a public body or work across countries, ask a lawyer.
Our view, which is a judgement and not a finding from any source: make them optional, fix the format, and never fill them in for anyone.
A one-page policy for pronouns in email signature blocks
Copy this and change the bracketed parts.
- Purpose. This policy sets how pronouns appear in [Company] email signatures.
- Choice. Including pronouns is [optional / not used]. No one is asked why they include them or leave them out.
- Who writes them. Only the person concerned adds, changes or removes their pronouns. Managers, HR and IT never fill them in for someone else.
- Format. If included, pronouns go in brackets after the name, in lower case: Priya Nair (she/her).
- Template. The signature template [does / does not] carry a pronoun field. No other personal text is added to the name line.
- Changes. A person can change their pronouns at any time by editing their signature details. We do not require a reason.
- Questions and concerns. Contact [named person].
- Local rules. [Legal review needed for any location where a law or an employer rule restricts or requires pronouns.]
- Review. This policy is reviewed on [date].
Add the policy to your wider email signature policy and the brand guidelines so the format has one home.
Rolling out pronouns in email signature templates
Do not pre-fill pronouns when you create staff accounts. In emailfooter the design belongs to the admin and the name line belongs to the employee, so the person types the pronouns or leaves the line alone. The in-app steps then guide them through installing the result in their own mail app.
Our article on parts of an email signature shows where the name line sits, the shorter section in job title in email signature gives a second view, and email signature etiquette covers what else to leave out. Whatever you choose, keep pronouns in email signature blocks a choice the person owns.
Frequently asked questions
Should pronouns in email signature lines be optional?
Microsoft’s help pages say using the pronouns feature should be optional, not mandatory. A company can choose otherwise, but a required line may out someone who is not ready, as the Penn post argues.
What is the best format for pronouns in email signature blocks?
Brackets after the name, such as Priya Nair (she/her), is our default. Whatever you choose, apply it to everyone who opts in.
Can an employer require pronouns in email signature blocks?
The Employers Council says employers can require, prohibit or make them optional. Law and public employer rules differ by place, so take advice. This is not legal advice.
Can I add pronouns in email signature text for a colleague?
No. Microsoft’s page says pronouns should never be assigned by one person to another. Let the person write their own.
Do Gmail and Outlook have a pronouns field?
Both vendors have a profile field. Microsoft’s allows 60 characters and Google’s lets users set visibility. Neither page says the field fills your email signature.
Keep reading
- The parts of an email signature, labelled with an annotated example: The parts of an email signature, labelled on one drawn example: 12 elements, each marked required, recommended or optional, plus the parts you cannot see.
- Email signature brand guidelines: a one-page template you can adopt: Email signature brand guidelines you can copy: a fill-in table for fields, fonts, colours, logo, links and banners, with a worked example and a review routine.
- Email signature etiquette: what is polite, what is noise: Email signature etiquette in one table for new emails, replies, long threads and internal mail, plus nine habits that waste the reader’s attention.
- Job title in email signature: how to write it clearly: How to write a job title in email signature blocks: eight bad titles fixed (long, inflated, abbreviated, two roles), plus rules for departments and pronouns.
Make every signature in your company match
emailfooter is a free WordPress plugin. You design the signature once, and each person adds their own details and installs it in their mail app. Prefer not to run a website? emailfooter Managed is the same software, hosted for you.