How to Update Email Signatures in Outlook for Windows 11

Why use an email signature?

A signature shows your name, job title, and contact information on every message you send. Recipients can see who you are and how to reach you without searching for it, and your messages look consistent. Check the text every few months, and always after a change of role, phone number, or company address.

What happens when you are done?

Outlook inserts the signature into every outgoing message for you, so you never retype your contact details. This only works for signatures you have set as the default for the account you are sending from. If you have more than one account, each one can have its own default.

How to update email signature in New Outlook for Windows

To update your email signature in the new Outlook app for Windows 11, open the settings menu and edit your signature block. You can change the existing text, add a new sign-off, or choose which email account uses the signature. All of this is in the accounts section of Settings. The new Outlook is the app with the New Outlook toggle. Classic Outlook works differently and is covered further down.

1. Open the Outlook app on your computer. You should see your mailbox with the folder list on the left.

2. Click the Settings gear icon in the top right corner. A Settings window opens over your mailbox.

3. Go to Accounts and select Signatures. The signature editor appears on the right.

4. Select an email account, type a name for the signature, and enter your text in the box. To edit an existing signature, change the text that is already there instead. Use the formatting bar above the box for fonts, links, and images. Give each signature a clear name, such as “Work” or “Short reply”, so you can tell them apart later.

5. Click Save. If you leave without saving, your edits are lost.

6. Choose the signature for New Messages and Replies/Forwards. Pick the one you want from each drop-down list. Choose the same signature for both, or a shorter one for replies. Open a new message afterward to confirm the signature appears. No restart is needed.

How to update email signature in Outlook on the Web

You can also manage your signature in a web browser, which is useful if you read mail on more than one computer. These steps apply to Outlook.com. If your organization manages the account, some settings may be controlled by your administrator.

1. Go to Outlook.com and sign in.

2. Click the Settings gear icon. A settings panel opens.

3. Select Mail and then Compose and reply.

4. Under Email signature, type your details and click Save. Start a new message to check the result.

How to update email signature in Classic Outlook

Classic Outlook uses a separate settings menu. Use these steps if you run the older desktop version, where the options are under File instead of a gear icon.

1. Open Outlook and click File › Options. The Outlook Options window opens.

2. Select Mail and click the Signatures button. A signature editing window opens.

3. Click New to create a block, or pick an existing signature from the list to edit it. Then change the text in the editing box. You can also set which signature is used for new messages and for replies and forwards in this window.

4. Click OK to save changes. Open a new message to confirm the update.

Troubleshooting Outlook signature issues

If the signature does not appear, open the signature settings again and check that it is assigned as the default for the account you are sending from. A signature that exists but is not the default for that account will not be inserted. Also make sure you edited the version of Outlook you actually use. The new Outlook, Outlook on the web, and classic Outlook each keep their own settings.

Pro-tip: Default settings

A good default setup uses a full signature for new messages and a shorter one for replies. A long block repeated in every reply makes a thread hard to read, so a name and one contact line is usually enough. The Microsoft Support page provides additional help.

Summary

Updating your signature in each version of Outlook you use keeps your contact details current everywhere. To undo a change, edit the text again or delete the signature in the same settings screen.