Outlook signature not showing: how to fix it (new, classic and web)

Applies to: new Outlook for Windows, classic Outlook (Microsoft 365, 2024 and 2021) and Outlook on the web or Outlook.com. Outlook for Mac and the mobile apps have their own signature settings; see the last section for phones.

Match your symptom

What you see	Possible cause	Go to
No signature on any new email	No default signature chosen for new messages	Fix 1, Fix 2, Fix 3
Signature on new emails, not on replies or forwards	Replies and forwards default left empty	Fix 1, Fix 2, Fix 3
Signature works for one account, not another	Signature linked to a different account, or the From address changed	Fix 4
Signature is in the desktop app but missing on the web	Separate settings, or roaming sync failed	Fix 3, Fix 5
Signatures you created disappear after a while	Cloud signature sync bug in classic Outlook	Fix 5
Logo missing or text formatting lost	Message in plain text, or the image is blocked	Fix 6
Signature setting is correct but still doesn’t appear	App out of date or damaged	Fix 7

First, check which Outlook you’re using

Signature menus differ between apps, which is why steps from one guide often don’t match what you see. New Outlook for Windows has a gear icon for Settings and no File tab. Classic Outlook has a File tab on the ribbon. Outlook on the web runs in your browser at outlook.office.com or outlook.com. Microsoft’s own signature page points out that if the new Outlook steps don’t work for you, you may be on classic Outlook.

A signature you set in one app doesn’t automatically mean the others will use it. If you moved between new and classic Outlook recently, our guide to getting classic Outlook back explains the toggle, and you may need to set the signature again in the app you switched to.

Fix 1: Set the default signature in new Outlook

Microsoft’s page How to add and change an email signature in Outlook lists these steps for new Outlook:

1. Select Settings (the gear icon), then go to Accounts > Signatures.
2. If you’ve added more than one account, choose the account the signature is for.
3. Select an existing signature to edit with the pencil icon, or select Add signature and give it a name.
4. Choose whether the signature is used for new messages, for replies and forwards, or both.
5. Select Save.

Microsoft notes that if you leave both options unchecked, Outlook won’t add the signature on its own and you insert it yourself while writing. So a signature can exist and still never appear, simply because it was saved without being set as a default. Check the replies and forwards option too, since it’s separate from the new messages one.

The new default applies to messages you start after saving. A draft or reply that was already open won’t pick it up, so close it and start a new one to test.

Fix 2: Set the default signature in classic Outlook

Microsoft’s page Create an email signature in Outlook opens the signature editor from a new message: on the Message tab, select Signature > Signatures, pick the account in the E-mail account list and edit or create your signature there. You can also reach the same editor from File > Options > Mail > Signatures.

The default is chosen in the same window, in the area for choosing a default signature (the fetched Microsoft page doesn’t show this part, so labels may vary slightly by version):

1. Pick the account in the E-mail account list on the right side.
2. Choose your signature in the New messages list.
3. Choose it again in the Replies/forwards list. If this says (none), replies and forwards go out without a signature.
4. Select OK, then start a new email to test.

Repeat this for every account in the list. Each account has its own pair of defaults, even when you use the same signature for all of them.

Fix 3: Outlook on the web and Outlook.com

Outlook on the web keeps signatures in its own settings, not in the Windows app. Open Settings (the gear icon) and go to the signatures page under your account or mail settings; if you can’t find it, type “signature” in the settings search box. As in new Outlook, choose the default signature for new messages and for replies and forwards, then save. Microsoft’s support page lists Outlook.com and Outlook on the web among the products it applies to, but the fetched version showed only the new Outlook steps, so these web labels are general guidance.

If a signature you made in classic Outlook is missing here, Fix 5 covers the sync side.

Fix 4: The signature belongs to another account

Signatures are linked to accounts. In new Outlook you pick the account before you create or edit a signature, and in classic Outlook the defaults sit under the E-mail account list. If you have a work mailbox and a personal one, a signature set as the default for one won’t show up when you send from the other.

• Look at the From field in the message you’re writing. Outlook applies the default of that account, not the one you set up first.
• If you change the From address after the message opened, the signature may not switch over. Start a new message from the right account instead.
• Set a default for each account you send from, even if they all use the same text.
• For a shared mailbox, check how it’s added: our guide on adding a shared mailbox in Outlook explains the options, and a mailbox added as its own account has its own signature settings.

Fix 5: Signatures vanish or don’t sync

Microsoft 365 can store signatures in the cloud with your mailbox, so they follow you between classic Outlook and Outlook on the web. Microsoft calls these roaming signatures and says classic Outlook started using them with Version 2303.

Microsoft’s page Signatures are not syncing between Outlook Desktop and Outlook Web App describes two symptoms: signatures created in classic Outlook for your own account are deleted after a while, and signatures don’t reach Outlook on the web. According to that page, an older bug left account data cached in the registry, new signatures failed to upload, and Outlook then removed the local copies because they weren’t on the cloud list. Microsoft marks the bug as fixed in the November 12, 2024 updates, but says the fix didn’t clean up data that was already cached, so older accounts can still be affected.

Warning: the workaround below changes the registry. Close Outlook first and back up the key by exporting it (in Registry Editor, right-click the key and select Export). Renaming a key is easy to undo, but editing the wrong one isn’t. Skip this on a work PC unless your IT team agrees.

1. Update Office so you’re on a build with the fix (in classic Outlook, File > Office Account > Update Options > Update Now).
2. Close Outlook and open Registry Editor.
3. Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\Outlook\Settings.
4. Right-click the Settings key, select Rename and name it Settings_old.
5. Restart Outlook and create the signature again.

Microsoft describes this rename as a workaround that may help in some cases, not a guaranteed fix. As of November 2026, that page lists the bug’s status as fixed, and we didn’t find another open signature issue on the official Microsoft pages we checked. If signatures stop syncing for everyone in your organization at once, your IT team can check Microsoft 365 service health.

Some guides suggest a registry value that turns roaming signatures off entirely. Microsoft’s sync page doesn’t mention it, so we haven’t included it here; ask your administrator before changing policy-style settings on a managed PC.

Fix 6: The signature shows, but images or layout are wrong

Microsoft says signatures can include text, links and pictures such as a logo or a scanned handwritten signature. Pictures and formatting need a formatted message, though. These checks are general guidance rather than steps from the Microsoft pages cited here:

• Plain text messages: plain text can’t hold images, fonts or colors, so a logo disappears and the signature turns into bare text. When you reply to a plain text email, Outlook may keep that format. Switch the message to HTML from the Format Text tab in classic Outlook, or the format options in new Outlook, and check the default message format in your mail settings.
• Blocked or linked images: if the logo points to a web address, the recipient’s mail app may block it until they allow images. An image inserted into the signature itself is less likely to be held back.
• Pasted signatures: a signature pasted from a web page or a Word document can carry hidden formatting that Outlook trims. Paste it as plain text, then reapply bold, colors and links in the signature editor.
• Large images: a very large logo can be scaled oddly or flagged by the recipient’s filters. A small image file keeps the signature tidy.

If only the recipient sees a problem, ask them to send you a screenshot. Their app’s settings decide whether images load, which you can’t change from your side.

Fix 7: Insert it by hand, then update or repair

To confirm the signature itself is fine, add it manually. In new Outlook, Microsoft’s steps are to select New mail, then on the Message tab select Signature in the Insert group and pick your signature. Classic Outlook has the same Signature button on the Message tab. If the signature inserts correctly by hand but not on its own, go back to the default settings in Fix 1 or Fix 2.

If the defaults are right and it still doesn’t appear, refresh the app, smallest step first:

1. Close Outlook completely and open it again.
2. Install Office and Windows updates, then restart the PC.
3. Run a Quick Repair of Office. Our guide on repairing Microsoft Office walks through it.
4. As a last step, reset Outlook or create a new profile, as described in our guide to resetting Outlook to default settings. Export or copy your signatures first, because a reset can remove settings you made.

Signatures on phones

Outlook for iOS and Android set their own signature in the app’s settings, and the Microsoft pages cited here don’t say that roaming signatures reach the mobile apps. If emails from your phone show a different signature, or none, change it in the phone app itself. For more time-saving settings in the Windows app, see our Outlook tips and tricks.

Related guides

• Classic Outlook download: how to get it back on Windows 11 and 10
• How to reset Outlook to default settings (classic and new Outlook)
• How to repair Microsoft Office (Quick Repair and Online Repair)
• How to add a shared mailbox in Outlook (Windows, Mac, web and mobile)
• Outlook tips and tricks: 12 ways to manage email faster in Outlook for Windows

Official sources

• Microsoft: How to add and change an email signature in Outlook
• Microsoft: Create an email signature in Outlook
• Microsoft: Signatures are not syncing between Outlook Desktop and Outlook Web App