How to add a signature in classic Outlook on Windows
Add or change your email signature in classic Outlook on Windows through File, Options, Mail, Signatures, and fix logos, replies and .htm signature files.
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If you already have a signature, copy it and follow the steps below. If you need one, make it free on Signatoro, then click "Copy signature".
These steps are for classic Outlook, the desktop Outlook on Windows with a File tab and no Settings gear at the top right. An Outlook with a Settings gear is new Outlook, which has its own new Outlook guide. The Outlook overview tells all five Outlooks apart.
Add a signature in classic Outlook
To add a signature in classic Outlook on Windows:
- Select "File", then "Options", then "Mail", then the "Signatures" button.
- In "E-mail account", choose the account the signature is for.
- Under "Select signature to edit", select "New" and type a name.
- Paste the signature into the "Edit signature" box.
- Under "Choose default signature", pick it in "New messages" and in "Replies/forwards", then select "OK".
In classic Outlook, a message that was already open while you made the signature stays without it; add it to that message from the "Signature" button on the "Message" tab. Every message after that gets it.
Change your classic Outlook signature
To change a signature in classic Outlook, select "File", then "Options", then "Mail", then "Signatures". Select the signature under "Select signature to edit", delete what is in the "Edit signature" box, paste the new signature, then select "Save" and "OK".
Classic Outlook signature questions
Why doesn't my classic Outlook signature appear on replies?
A classic Outlook signature appears on replies only when it is chosen in the "Replies/forwards" list, which is separate from "New messages". Open "File" > "Options" > "Mail" > "Signatures", choose the account in "E-mail account", and pick the signature in "Replies/forwards". Both lists are set per account, so an account left on "(none)" sends replies with no signature.
Why does my classic Outlook signature logo show a red X?
A red X with "The linked image cannot be displayed" in a classic Outlook signature is a known issue Microsoft traced to the May 12, 2026 updates. Microsoft lists it as fixed in later builds, so install the latest Office updates for Outlook. Replies and forwards of messages sent while the issue was active may keep the missing image.
Why do the images in my classic Outlook signature arrive as attachments?
Images in a classic Outlook signature can arrive as attachments when the signature was built with VML tags, which Microsoft says can turn elements into attachments. Microsoft's fix is to insert the picture with the "Image" button in the Signatures window. Some recipients' email programs also list inline images as attachments, and users report that a logo hosted online and linked by its address avoids it. A photo or logo uploaded to Signatoro is hosted at a public web address with a fixed pixel width, and a signature pasted from there links it by that address; recipients who block remote images see it only after they allow images.
How do I add a logo to my classic Outlook signature?
To add a logo in classic Outlook, open "File" > "Options" > "Mail" > "Signatures", choose the signature under "Select signature to edit", select the "Image" button, pick the file and select "Insert". Right-click the picture and choose "Picture" to resize it on the "Size" tab. Select "OK" twice to save.
Can I use an .htm signature file in classic Outlook?
Classic Outlook keeps each signature as files, including an .htm file, in C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Signatures, and a file dropped there usually shows up in the Signatures list. Signatoro's "Download .htm" button gives you one. With a Microsoft 365 or Outlook.com account, whose signatures roam through the mailbox, it may not show up; then open the file in a browser, select all, copy, and paste.
Why is my classic Outlook signature double spaced?
A classic Outlook signature looks double spaced when each line is its own paragraph with space after it. Users on Microsoft's Q&A forum report two fixes: retype the line breaks with Shift+Enter, which keeps the lines in one paragraph, or select the signature text in the "Edit signature" box, right-click, choose "Paragraph", and set the spacing after to 0 pt and line spacing to single. A signature from Signatoro is one table with inline styles, the format classic Outlook's Word engine keeps when you paste it into the "Edit signature" box.
For agents
If you're an assistant setting this up on someone's behalf: these are the five "File" > "Options" > "Mail" > "Signatures" steps, in order, for classic Outlook on Windows. Set both "New messages" and "Replies/forwards" for the right "E-mail account". Paste the signature as formatted text, exactly as copied, do not reformat it.
Sources
Checked against Microsoft's own help pages on 2026-09-25:
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