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How to add a signature in Outlook

Short answer
Open Outlook's Settings, go to Accounts → Signatures, click + New signature, paste your signature into the box, and pick it as the default for new messages and replies. The exact path depends on which Outlook you use — pick your version below.
Which version do you use?

New Outlook is the default in Windows 11 and looks like Outlook on the web. If your top-left says 'File', you're on Classic — use that tab instead.

  1. 1

    Open Settings

    Click the gear icon in the top-right of the Outlook window, then choose Accounts in the left menu and Signatures.
  2. 2

    Create a new signature

    Click + New signature, give it a name like "Main", and leave the editor open.
  3. 3

    Paste your signature into the box

    Click into the editor and paste with Ctrl+V. Don't have one yet? Pick a free signature from Wren's gallery — copy, paste, done. Open the free generator.
  4. 4

    Set the defaults

    Under Select default signatures, choose the signature for New messages and Replies/forwards. Many people want a shorter version on replies — create a second signature and pick it there.
  5. 5

    Save

    Click Save in the bottom-right. Send yourself a test to check the logo renders — if it doesn't, see "images broken" below.

Menu names occasionally move — look for Settings → Signature.

Multiple signatures (main + short reply)

All three Outlook variants support more than one signature. The pattern most teams settle on: one full signature for new messages, and a stripped version — just name, title, one link — for replies. Create both in the Signatures panel, then pick each one in the "Select default signatures" dropdowns.

Images look broken to recipients

If your logo shows fine in your sent folder but recipients see a red X or a placeholder box, it's almost always because the image is hotlinked from a private URL that Outlook's image proxy can't reach. Two fixes: host the logo on a public HTTPS URL (Wren does this automatically), or insert the image via Insert Picture in the signature editor so Outlook embeds it. Pasting from a Word document usually breaks this — go back to Wren and re-copy.

Outlook mobile is separate

Signatures set on desktop don't sync to the Outlook mobile app. Follow the Outlook mobile guide to set one on your phone. Microsoft 365 admin-managed signatures (via Exchange transport rules) do reach mobile, but that's a company-side setup, not something you can enable from the mobile app.

Where Outlook stores signatures

Classic Outlook keeps them locally in %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Signatures — copy that folder to move to a new machine. New Outlook and Outlook on the web store signatures on your Microsoft account, so they follow you across devices automatically.

Common questions

›Where is the signature setting in New Outlook?
Gear icon (top-right) → Accounts → Signatures. If you're looking under File, you're in Classic Outlook — it doesn't have a File menu in New Outlook.
›Why does my signature look fine to me but broken to Gmail recipients?
Outlook's paste sometimes drops table widths, and Gmail then reflows the layout. Repaste directly from Wren (which uses email-safe tables) rather than editing an existing signature in place.
›Can I have different signatures on different email accounts?
Yes. In the Signatures panel, pick the account in the top-right dropdown, then choose which signature you want for new messages and replies for that account specifically.
›My admin manages signatures centrally — will this override it?
If your organization uses an Exchange transport rule (server-side signature), your personal signature is appended before the server-added one — the recipient sees both. Ask your admin before setting one to avoid duplication.
›How do I remove or change my signature later?
Same path (gear → Accounts → Signatures). Click the signature name, edit or delete, and save.
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