How to update your email signature (Gmail, Outlook, Thunderbird)

What to include in your signature

Before changing anything, it helps to know what a good signature looks like. You don't need much — the goal is to give recipients enough information to reach you without cluttering every email you send.

• Your first and last name
• Your job title and company name
• A phone number (optional, but useful for clients)
• Your website URL
• One or two social links at most

Gmail

Gmail manages signatures through its settings panel. Here's how to add or update yours:

1. 1Open Gmail in your browser and click the gear icon in the top-right corner.
2. 2Click "See all settings" at the top of the panel that appears.

1. 3Stay on the General tab and scroll down until you find the Signature section.
2. 4Click "Create new", give your signature a name (e.g. "Work") and click Create.

1. 5Type your signature in the text box. Use the toolbar to bold your name, adjust the font size, or add a clickable link to your website.

1. 6Scroll down a little to Signature defaults. Set your new signature for both New emails and Replies/forwards.
2. 7Scroll to the very bottom of the settings page and click Save Changes.

Outlook (web — Microsoft 365)

If you use Outlook through a browser (outlook.com or your company's Microsoft 365 portal), here's how to update your signature:

1. 1Sign in to your Outlook account and click the gear icon in the top-right corner.
2. 2At the bottom of the settings panel, click "View all Outlook settings".

1. 3Go to Mail → Compose and reply.

1. 4Under Email signature, type your signature in the editor. You can format text, add links, and adjust font size using the toolbar.
2. 5Check "Automatically include my signature on new messages" and optionally on replies and forwards.
3. 6Click Save.

Outlook (desktop — Windows)

If you use the Outlook desktop app on Windows, the signature settings are located in a separate dialog:

1. 1Open Outlook and click File in the top-left corner.
2. 2Click Options near the bottom of the left panel.

1. 3In the Outlook Options window, select Mail on the left, then click the Signatures… button.

1. 4Click New, give your signature a name, and click OK.
2. 5Type your signature in the large text area at the bottom.

1. 6Under Choose default signature, select your signature for New messages and Replies/forwards.
2. 7Click OK to save and close.

Thunderbird

Mozilla Thunderbird keeps signature settings inside the account settings for each email address:

1. 1Open Thunderbird. Click the Menu button (three horizontal lines, top-right) and choose Account Settings.

1. 2In the left panel, click the email account you want to update.

1. 3Check "Attach this signature" and type your signature in the text box below.
2. 4If you'd like to use formatting (bold, links), check "Use HTML" first — this enables a basic formatting toolbar.
3. 5Click OK to save.

Apple Mail

On a Mac, Apple Mail has a dedicated Signatures tab in its settings:

1. 1Open Mail and go to the menu bar: Mail → Settings (or Preferences on older macOS versions).

1. 2Click the Signatures tab.

1. 3Select your email account in the left column, then click the + button to create a new signature.
2. 4Give it a name and type your signature in the right panel.

1. 5To set it as the default, drag the signature name from the middle column onto your account name in the left column.

Tips for a better signature

• Less is more. Aim for 4 lines or fewer. If it takes longer to read than the email itself, trim it.
• Test on mobile. Most emails are read on a phone. Send yourself a test email and check that it looks clean on a small screen.
• Avoid using images as your main content. Images are often blocked by default or filtered as spam. If you use a logo, always include a text fallback.
• Standardise across your team. If you have employees or collaborators, agree on a shared template so every email looks consistent.
• Keep it up to date. An old phone number or previous job title looks careless. Set a reminder to review your signature when anything changes.