How to Add a Signature in Outlook (Outlook.com)

Why Outlook Signatures Matter

Adding a professional email signature in Outlook makes every email look polished and consistent. Whether you’re sharing contact details, linking to your website, or including social icons, a properly formatted signature ensures your recipients see you at your best.

But Outlook comes with a few quirks — it can strip styles, misalign layouts, or skip signatures on replies if settings aren’t adjusted correctly. Below we’ll walk you through the setup process, including the things most guides leave out.

Outlook Signature Warnings You Should Know

Plain text vs HTML – If “Compose messages in HTML format” isn’t enabled, Outlook may remove styling, colors, and links.
Automatic insertion – By default, Outlook doesn’t always apply signatures to replies/forwards unless you tick the correct boxes.
Formatting quirks – Copying a design from Word or other editors can cause spacing and font inconsistencies. A properly coded HTML signature avoids this.

Step-by-Step: Adding a Signature in Outlook.com

Log in to Outlook.com
Sign in to your Outlook.com account in your browser.
Open Settings
Click the Settings cog in the top-right corner.
Navigate to the Signature Editor
- In the left menu, click Account.
- Then select Signatures.
Paste Your Signature
- Paste the HTML signature you created (or copied from Signature Hound).
- Make sure “Compose messages in HTML format” is enabled under Message format.
- Tick both boxes so your signature is added automatically:
  - ✓ Automatically include my signature on new messages I compose
  - ✓ Automatically include my signature on messages I forward or reply to
Save Your Changes
Scroll to the bottom and click Save.
Test It Out
Compose a new email to check that your signature appears correctly.

Skip the Formatting Headaches

Designing a signature that works in Outlook can be frustrating. Fonts shift, layouts break, and links sometimes don’t carry over. That’s why Signature Hound prepares signatures specifically optimised for Outlook, so you can paste them in with confidence and know they’ll display correctly across all email clients.