by Comprehensive guide on how to set up and update a default signature in all Outlook versions, including Outlook 365, 2024 – 2016, the new app and web.
Adding an automatic signature to your Outlook emails can save you time and ensure that your relevant contact information is included in every message you send. Let's see how you can set up the default email signature across different Outlook versions.
How to automatically add signature in Outlook 365 – 2016
To add an automatic signature in Outlook 365, 2024, 2021, 2019 and earlier versions, follow these steps:
- Access signature settings:
- Click on the File tab at the top left corner of the ribbon and select Options at the bottom of the left pane.
- In the Outlook Options window, click on Mail in the left-hand menu, and then click Signatures… under the Compose messages section.
Quick tip. A faster way to access these settings is to create a new blank email, and then click Signature > Signatures… on the Message tab, in the Include group.
- Choose the account. Signatures in Outlook are count-specific. If you have multiple accounts, select the one you want to set up a signature for from the E-mail account dropdown list.
- Create a new signature. In the Signatures and Stationery window, do this:
- Click New to create a signature.
- Enter a name for your signature.
- In the editor, enter the desired details such as text, images, or your electronic business card.
- Click Save when you're satisfied with the design.
If you already have a signature in your Outlook that you want to set as default, skip this step.
- Set the default signature. Under Choose default signature at the bottom, use the drop-down menus to select the default signature for:
- New messages - automatically add this signature to all new emails.
- Replies/forwards – include this signature in your replies and forwarded messages.
You can select the same signature for both or assign different signatures depending on your needs.
- Save changes. Click OK to save your settings and close the window.
That's it! Now, your Outlook emails will always feature your automatic signature, sharing your contact information with every message.
For more information, see how to make a signature in Outlook.
How to set up auto signature in new Outlook
To set up an automatic signature in the new Outlook app, the steps are:
- Open signature settings:
- On the View tab, click View Settings. Alternatively, click the Settings gear icon in the upper-right corner of the new Outlook app.
- In the Settings menu, navigate to Accounts > Signatures.
- Select the account. As with the classic app, signatures in the new Outlook are account-specific. If you have multiple accounts, select the target one from the dropdown list in the upper right corner.
- Create a signature. If you're setting up a signature for the first time, click the New signature button. If you already have a signature saved, skip this step.
- Set up auto signature. Under the Select default signatures section, choose which signature to apply automatically:
- New messages: Assign a signature for all new emails.
- Replies/forwards: Select a signature to include in replies and forwarded messages.
You can use the same signature for both or assign different ones based on your preference.
- Save changes. Click Save to apply your settings and activate your automatic signature.
From now on, the new Outlook will automatically add your preferred signature to every email, saving you time.
For more details, please visit How to create email signature in new Outlook.
How to add an automatic signature in Outlook on the web
Adding an automatic signature in Outlook on the web and Outlook.com is quite similar to the process in the new Outlook app. The steps are:
- Click the Settings icon in the upper-right corner of the Outlook window.
- In the Settings window, go to Account > Signatures.
- If you don't have a signature yet, click the New signature button and create one.
- Under the Select default signatures section, choose an auto signature for new messages and replies / forwards.
- Click Save to apply the changes.
For more information, please refer to How to set up a signature in Outlook on the web.
Note. Previously, in the web version of Outlook, the signature settings were on the Mail tab under Compose and reply. If you can't find them in the usual location, check under the Account tab as described above.
How to change automatic signature in Outlook
If you need to update or assign a different automatic signature in Outlook, carry out these steps:
- Get to signature settings. The method depends on your Outlook version:
- In classic (old) Outlook, click File > Options > Mail > Compose messages > Signatures.
- In the new Outlook and web, go to Settings > Account > Signatures.
- Edit the signature:
- From the list of signatures, select the one you want to update.
- Make your changes in the editing box: update text, images, formatting, etc.
- Once done, click Save.
- Change auto signature:
- To assign a different signature as your default, use the dropdown menus under the Select default signatures section.
- Click OK or Save to confirm, depending on your Outlook version.
Here's how you can modify an automatic signature in classic (old) Outlook:
And this is how to update or set a different default signature in the new Outlook and Outlook on the web:
How to make automatic Outlook signature for team and company
To achieve consistency and professionalism across all communications, you can create a unified email signature for your team or the entire organization using Shared Email Templates for Outlook. Here's how:
- Create team / company signature. Start by creating a signature from a template that suits your team's or company's needs. Here are the detailed steps for team-wide and company-wide signatures.
- Personalize the signature. Customize the signature with your team or company details. By using team properties, the signature will automatically update with each person's information, such as their name, job title or email address, while keeping shared details such as the company and team name consistent for every user.
- Set the default signature. You can assign an automatic signature for your team or company in two ways:
- Use the dropdown menus in the lower part of the Shared Email Templates pane in your Outlook:
- Alternatively, right-click the signature and select the appropriate default option from the context menu:
- Use the dropdown menus in the lower part of the Shared Email Templates pane in your Outlook:
Want to explore this tool in more detail? Feel free to download a free trial version of Shared Email Templates from Microsoft AppSource and see how easy it is to create a professional automatic signature for your personally, for your team or company.
