How to Add an Email Signature in Outlook (Desktop)

Set up a signature in the Outlook desktop app: find the Signatures dialog, paste a formatted signature, and choose it for new mail and replies.

Updated 4 min read By CodingEagles
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To add a signature in the Outlook desktop app, build it here and copy it, then open File → Options → Mail → Signatures, create a new signature, paste it into the editor, set it as the default, and click OK. Here is the detail.

Step by step

  1. In the signature generator, enter your details, choose a layout, and press Copy signature.
  2. In Outlook, go to File → Options.
  3. Select Mail in the left list, then click the Signatures… button.
  4. Click New, give the signature a name, and click into the Edit signature box.
  5. Paste (Ctrl+V). Your formatted signature appears with its links.
  6. On the right, under Choose default signature, pick this signature for New messages and, if you wish, for Replies/forwards.
  7. Click OK to save.

Start a new email to confirm it inserts correctly.

Newer Outlook for Windows

The newer Outlook app (and Outlook for Mac) place signatures under Settings → Accounts → Signatures or Outlook → Settings → Signatures. The idea is the same: create a signature, paste the formatted version in, and set it as the default for new mail and replies.

If a logo is missing

Outlook shows signature images by loading them from a web address. If your logo or photo does not appear, make sure its URL is public, then paste it into the Photo or logo URL field in the generator and copy the signature again.

For the browser version of Outlook, see adding a signature in Outlook on the web. To build yours now, open the email signature generator.

Frequently asked questions

Where are signatures stored in Outlook?
The Outlook desktop app keeps signatures on your computer, so they are tied to that device and account. If you use Outlook on another machine or on the web, you will need to set the signature up there too. Keeping the same HTML from the generator makes them consistent.
My pasted signature lost its formatting, what happened?
This usually means it was pasted as plain text. Paste directly into the signature editor in the Signatures dialog, which accepts formatting. If a logo is missing, check that its image URL is public, since Outlook links to hosted images.
Can I set different signatures for new emails and replies?
Yes. In the Signatures dialog, the 'Choose default signature' section lets you pick one signature for new messages and a different one (or none) for replies and forwards, per email account.

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Related guides

How to Add a Signature in Outlook on the Web Open Outlook's web compose settings, paste your formatted signature, and switch it on for new messages and replies. How to Add an Email Signature in Gmail Where Gmail's signature setting lives, how to paste a formatted signature, and how to fix images that won't show.