This article guides you on creating or editing an email signature using the Outlook desktop application for Windows and Apple MacBook and Outlook for the web.

The University has issued some guidelines on the format of your email signature - if you need guidance please read the University signature guidelines.

Instructions for Outlook desktop application

New Outlook for Windows

1. Open Outlook desktop application

2. On the navigation bar, choose Settings

3. From the Settings sidebar, select Account

4. Select Signatures

5. If you want to add a new signature, select + New signature; if you want to show a signature you have previously used, used the arrow to open the drop-down menu 

6. Enter your signature or make the changes you need. You can change fonts, font colours and sizes, and the text alignment.
 
7. Select Save

 Go to the section Select default signature to choose which signature you want to add to your emails:

• If you want your signature to be added to all new messages by default: open the For New Messages drop-down menu and select one of your signatures.
• If you want your signature added to all replies / forwards by default: open the For Replies / forwards drop-down menu and select one of your signatures. Otherwise, accept the default option of (No signature).

Your signature will be automatically added to your messages.  

8. Select Save to save your changes.

 

Classic Outlook for Windows

Adding a signature

Step 1 - Set up your signature

1. Open a new email message

2. Select Signature, then Signatures from the Message menu

Please note: depending on the size of your Outlook window and whether you're composing a new email message or a reply or forward, the "Message" menu and the "Signature" button might be in two different locations.  

3. Under the section "Select signature to edit", choose New

 
4. In the New Signature dialog box, type a name for the signature

5. Go to the section “Edit signature” and start composing your signature

You can change fonts, font colours and sizes, and the text alignment.

If you want to create a more robust signature with bullets, tables, or borders, use Word to format your text, then copy and paste the signature into the Edit signature box. If you need help, watch this Microsoft tutorial.
 
Find full guidance about the University guidelines in the University Brand guidelines.

You can create as many signatures as you want.

Step 2 – Associate an email account to a signature

1. Go to the section "Choose default signature"

2. Open the E-mail account drop-down box

Choose an email account to associate with the signature, since you can have different signatures for each email account.

• If you want your signature to be added to all new messages by default: open the New messages drop-down menu and select one of your signatures.
• If you want your signature to be added to all replies / forwards by default: open the Replies / forwards drop-down menu and select one of your signatures. Otherwise, accept the default option of (None).

3. Choose OK to save your new signature and return to your message.

Step 3 – Add the signature automatically or manually

Add a signature automatically

Outlook does not add your new signature to the message you opened in Step 1, even if you chose to apply the signature to all new messages. You will have to add the signature manually only to this one message.

All future messages will have the signature added automatically.

Add a signature manually

You might need to add manually a different signature to your email. In this case, select Signature from the Message menu and then pick one of the signatures you created.

 

Editing a signature

1. Open a new email message.

2. Select Signature, then Signatures from the Message menu.

3. Under the section "Select signature to edit", select the signature you want to modify.

 
4. Edit the content already present within the “Edit signature” area

5. Select the button Save

 
6. Select OK to save the changes and close the window

Outlook does not add your new signature to the message you opened in Step 1, even if you chose to apply the signature to all new messages. You will have to add the signature manually only to this one message. All future messages will have the signature added automatically. 

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Instructions for Apple macOS users

Outlook for Mac and Legacy Outlook

1. Open Outlook desktop application

2. Go to the menu bar and select the Outlook button

3. Select Settings

4. From the section Email, select Signatures

5. If you want to add a new signature:

1. Select the + (plus) button
   
2. Add the Signature name you want
3. Enter your signature
4. Select the Save button 

Your new signature will appear within the list of the available signatures

7. If you want to preview a signature you have previously used (the example below shows one signature called "Standard"), select it from the list of signatures available. the signature will appear on the right, under the Signature Preview box.

You can edit it by selecting the Edit button:

A new window will appear:

1. Make the changes you need. You can change fonts, font colours and sizes, and the text alignment.
2. Select the Save button
3. Close the window. Your new signature will appear again within the list of the available signatures

8. Go to the section Select default signature to choose which signature you want to add to your emails:

If you want your signature to be added to all new messages by default:

1. Open the New Messages drop-down menu
2. Select one of your signatures. Otherwise, accept the default option ("None").

If you want your signature added to all replies / forwards by default:

1. Open the Replies / Forwards drop-down menu
2. Select one of your signatures. Otherwise, accept the default option ("None").

Close the window

Your signature will be automatically added to your messages.  

9. Select Save to save your changes.

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Instructions for Outlook Web Application (OWA)

1. Sign in to Outlook for the web

2. On the navigation bar, choose Settings

3. From the Settings sidebar, select Email

4. Select Compose and reply

5. If you want to add a new signature, select + New signature; if you want to show a signature you have previously used, used the arrow to open the drop-down menu 

6. Enter your signature or make the changes you need. You can change fonts, font colours and sizes, and the text alignment.
 
7. Select Save

 Go to the section Select default signature to choose which signature you want to add to your emails:

• If you want your signature to be added to all new messages by default: open the For New Messages drop-down menu and select one of your signatures.
• If you want your signature added to all replies / forwards by default: open the For Replies / forwards drop-down menu and select one of your signatures. Otherwise, accept the default option of (No signature).

Your signature will be automatically added to your messages.  

8. Select Save to save your changes.

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How to "import" a signature

New and Classic Outlook for Windows

1. Launch Outlook desktop application
2. Go to the Sent Items folder
3. Locate an email that contains the signature you want to copy
4. Highlight the signature text by selecting it with your mouse or keyboard
5. Right-click on the highlighted text and select Copy from the context menu, or use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+C.
6. Open the signature menu as follows:
   1. On the navigation bar, choose Settings
   2. From the Settings sidebar, select Account
   3. Select Signatures (if you are using Classic Outlook, select Signatures again)
   4. Select + New signature
   5. Right-click on the text box and select Paste from the context menu (or use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+V)
7. Select OK to save your new signature

Outlook for Mac and Legacy Outlook

1. Launch Outlook desktop application
2. Go to the Sent Items folder
3. Highlight the signature text by selecting it with your mouse or keyboard
4. Right-click on the highlighted text and select Copy from the context menu, or use the keyboard shortcut ⌘+C
5. Open the signature menu as follows:
   1. Go to the menu bar and select the Outlook button
   2. Select Settings
   3. From the section Email, select Signatures
   4. Select the + (plus) button to add a new signature
   5. Add the Signature name
   6. Paste the signature text you copied earlier right-clicking and selecting Paste from the context menu (or use the keyboard shortcut ⌘+V)
6. Select Save to save your new signature.

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Related content

University Brand guidelines

Microsoft Support - Create and add an email signature in Outlook Web App

Microsoft Support - Create and add a signature to messages using Outlook