A new job title, phone number or logo means your email signature needs an update, and the steps to change your signature in Outlook depend on which version you use. In new Outlook for Windows and Outlook on the web, open Settings, select Accounts > Signatures, choose Edit signature next to the one you want and select Save. In classic Outlook, go to File > Options > Mail > Signatures. On a Mac it lives under Outlook > Settings > Signatures, and in the mobile apps under Settings > Signature. Each version is covered below, following Microsoft’s help pages as checked on 26 October 2026.

Which Outlook are you using?

Microsoft publishes separate signature steps for each version, and the menus are not interchangeable. Use this table to find your section.

Version Where signatures live Signatures sync to other versions?
New Outlook for Windows Settings > Accounts > Signatures Not with Outlook on the web for a Microsoft account; create it in both
Classic Outlook for Windows File > Options > Mail > Signatures, or Signature > Signatures in a new message Stored on the device where you made them
Outlook on the web and Outlook.com Settings > Accounts > Signatures Same steps as new Outlook
Outlook for Mac Outlook menu > Settings > Signatures (under Mail) Set per account
Legacy Outlook for Mac Outlook menu > Settings > Signatures (under Email) Set per account
Outlook for iPhone and Android Settings > Signature (under Mail) One for all accounts or one per account

Microsoft’s note for new Outlook tells you that if the New Outlook steps do not match your screen, you may still be on classic Outlook, so switch to that section.

Change signature in Outlook: new Outlook for Windows

According to Microsoft’s signature help page for Windows and the web:

  1. Select Settings.
  2. Select Accounts > Signatures.
  3. Select the Edit signature button next to the signature you want to change.
  4. Make your changes, then select Save.

Create a new signature instead

If you would rather keep the old one and add another:

  1. Select Settings, then Accounts > Signatures.
  2. If you have more than one account in new Outlook, choose the account first.
  3. Select Add signature and give it a distinct name.
  4. Type the signature in the editing box and format the font, color and style.
  5. Use the checkboxes at the bottom to apply it to new messages, to replies and forwards, or neither.
  6. Select Save.

Insert a new Outlook signature while writing

From Mail, select New mail. In the Insert group on the Message tab, select Signature and pick a saved signature. Choosing Signatures… in that dropdown opens the settings page if you need to create one.

One detail catches many people: Microsoft says that a Microsoft account holder who works in new Outlook as well as the web version needs to create the signature in both products. Updating one does not change the other.

Change your signature in classic Outlook for Windows

Classic Outlook has the older Signatures and Stationery dialog.

  1. Select File > Options > Mail > Signatures.
  2. Select the signature you want to edit.
  3. Make your changes in the Edit signature box.
  4. Select Save, then OK.

Create a signature and set the defaults

  1. Open a new email message.
  2. On the Message menu, select Signature > Signatures.
  3. In the E-mail account drop-down box, choose the account the signature belongs to. Each account can have its own.
  4. Under Select signature to edit, choose New and name the signature.
  5. Compose it under Edit signature, using the mini formatting bar for fonts, colors, links and alignment.
  6. Under Choose default signature, pick a signature in the New messages drop-down and, if you want, in Replies/forwards. Leave either set to (none) to skip it.
  7. Choose OK.

Classic Outlook does not add the new signature to the message you opened in step 1, even if you chose it for all new messages. Add it to that one by hand with Signature on the Message menu; later messages get it automatically.

Microsoft also notes that signatures in classic Outlook are stored locally on the device where they were created, so they may not appear when you use Outlook on another computer.

Add a logo or image

  1. Open a new message and select Signature > Signatures.
  2. In the Select signature to edit box, choose the signature.
  3. Select the Image button, find your image file and select Insert.
  4. To resize it, right-click the image, choose Picture, then use the Size tab. Keep Lock aspect ratio checked to avoid stretching.
  5. Select OK, then OK again.

For layouts with bullets, tables or borders, Microsoft suggests building the signature in Word and pasting it into the Edit signature box.

Start from a Microsoft template

If you do not want to design a classic Outlook signature from scratch, Microsoft points to a set of pre-designed signature templates. You download them in Word, replace the sample details with your own, then copy and paste the result into the Edit signature box. The templates are also the route Microsoft suggests for adding social media icons and links.

One technical warning from the same page: signatures that use Vector Markup Language (VML) tags can make some elements show up as attachments rather than inline images. Inserting pictures with the Image button, as described above, avoids that problem.

Change your signature in Outlook on the web and Outlook.com

The web version uses the same steps as new Outlook.

  1. In Outlook on the web or Outlook.com, select Settings.
  2. Select Accounts > Signatures.
  3. Select Edit signature next to the signature you want to change.
  4. Select Save.

To add a signature to a single message, type your message, then on the Message tab select Signature and choose the one you want. This is useful when you have left the automatic checkboxes blank.

Change your signature in Outlook for Mac

Microsoft’s Outlook for Mac signature page gives these steps for the current app:

  1. On the Outlook menu, select Settings.
  2. Under Mail, select Signatures.
  3. Under Signature name, select the signature you want to change, then select Edit.
  4. Update the signature, then close the Signatures window.

Set a default signature on a Mac

  1. On the Outlook menu, select Settings, then Signatures under Mail.
  2. Under Set default signature, select the account. With several accounts, repeat this for each.
  3. Set the For new messages option and the For replies or forwards option.
  4. Close the Signatures window.

To insert a signature manually, click in the body of the message, then on the Ribbon select Signature and choose from the list. It may sit under See more items (…). If the button is missing, you can customize the toolbar to add it.

Legacy Outlook for Mac

Microsoft states that support for legacy Outlook for Mac will end in October 2026, with continued support depending on your license. If you still use it, the path is slightly different: on the Outlook menu select Settings, then Signatures under Email. Defaults are set under Choose default signature with the New messages and Replies/forwards options, and the Signature button is on the Message tab.

Change your signature in Outlook for iPhone and Android

Microsoft’s mobile signature answer covers both apps with the same steps:

  1. Open Settings in the Outlook app.
  2. Under Mail, tap Signature.
  3. Type your new signature, or switch on Per Account Signature and enter a signature for each account.

Microsoft’s mobile answer does not say that this signature syncs with your desktop or web signature, so check each place after you change your details.

What to put in a business signature

Microsoft’s pages say a signature can hold text, links and images such as a logo or your handwritten signature, and that you can keep several for different purposes, for example internal and external mail. A simple template works in every version:

Line Example Notes
Name Alex Morgan Plain text, so it shows even when images are blocked
Job title and team Account Manager, Sales Update this first after a role change
Company Example Ltd Link it to the company site if you like
Phone Your direct line in international format Include the country code for outside contacts
Web or booking link example.com Keep it to one or two links
Logo Small image file Insert with the Image button in classic Outlook or See more items (…) on a Mac

Keep the signature short and test how it looks on a small screen, since the same text appears in every reply thread.

If your signature supports outreach, a correct reply-to address and a clean contact list matter as much as the design. Our guide on keeping bounce rates low and the walkthrough for writing cold emails that get replies pick up from there.

Checklist after you change your signature

  • Send a test message to yourself and to an outside address.
  • Check the signature on a reply as well as a new message.
  • Repeat the change in each Outlook version you use: desktop, web, Mac and mobile.
  • In classic Outlook, confirm the New messages and Replies/forwards defaults.
  • On a Mac with several accounts, set the default for each account.
  • Look at the result on a phone to confirm images are not too large.

FAQ

Why did my signature change not appear on my other computer?

Microsoft says classic Outlook stores signatures locally on the device where you created them. With a Microsoft account, a signature made in new Outlook also has to be created separately in the web version.

Can I have different signatures for different accounts?

Yes. Classic Outlook lets you pick an E-mail account for each signature, Outlook for Mac sets defaults per account, and the mobile apps have a Per Account Signature toggle.

How do I stop Outlook adding my signature to replies?

In classic Outlook, set Replies/forwards to (none) under Choose default signature. In new Outlook and on the web, clear the checkbox for replies and forwards on the signature settings page.

Can I add a logo to my Outlook signature?

Yes. In classic Outlook, select the Image button in the signature editor and insert the file. On a Mac, use See more items (…) in the Signature editor to add a picture.

Why is my new signature missing from the email I have open?

Classic Outlook does not add a newly created signature to the message you opened to create it. Insert it manually with Signature on the Message menu; future messages get it automatically.

Can one signature follow me across all Outlook versions?

Microsoft says that to use the same signature across supported Outlook experiences, you can create and manage it through your Microsoft account where that option is available. Otherwise, set it up separately in each version.

Keep every version in step

The menu names differ, but the job is the same: edit the signature, set the defaults and repeat in each app you use. If you are also gathering accurate contact details for colleagues or prospects, see our article on locating decision makers at a company, and plan details are on the Email Finder Online plans page.