Add a signature in Gmail settings
A Gmail signature is a block of text that appears at the bottom of every email you send. It typically includes your name, job title, phone number, or any other information you want recipients to see automatically. You add it once in Gmail settings, and it shows up on all your outgoing messages without you having to type it each time.
To add a signature, open Gmail in your web browser and click the gear icon in the top right corner. Select "See all settings" from the dropdown menu. This takes you to the full settings page where you can customize how Gmail works.
Scroll down until you find the "Signature" section. It appears below the "Accounts and Import" section and above "Forwarding and POP/IMAP". Click the radio button next to "Create new" to start building your signature.
Key Takeaways
- Gmail signatures are added in Settings under the Signature section and appear automatically on every email you send.
- You can type plain text, paste formatted text from another document, or use Gmail's basic formatting tools to style your signature.
- If you have multiple Gmail accounts, you can set a different signature for each one.
- Mobile Gmail does not display the signature editor, so you must use a computer or browser to create or edit your signature.
- Once saved, your signature appears above any quoted text or forwarded messages in your replies.
Type or paste your signature text
In the text box that appears, type the information you want in your signature. Keep it concise — most people use just their name, title, and contact details. You can press Enter to create line breaks and organize the information however you prefer.
If you already have signature text saved somewhere else, you can paste it directly into the box. Gmail will preserve basic formatting like line breaks, but some complex formatting from Word documents or other programs may not transfer perfectly. If that happens, you can retype the information or use Gmail's formatting buttons to recreate the look.
The formatting toolbar above the text box lets you make text bold, italic, or underlined, change the font, adjust the text color, and add links. These tools work the same way as the formatting options in your email compose window.
Save your signature and test it
Once you have typed or pasted your signature, scroll down to the bottom of the settings page and click the "Save Changes" button. Gmail saves your settings automatically after you click, so you do not need to do anything else.
To see your signature in action, go back to Gmail and start composing a new email. Click in the compose window and scroll to the bottom — your signature should appear there automatically. If you do not see it, refresh the page and try composing again. Sometimes Gmail needs a moment to apply the new setting.
Send a test email to yourself or a friend to confirm the signature looks the way you intended. This is especially helpful if you used formatting or special characters, since they sometimes display differently depending on the email program the recipient uses.
Set different signatures for multiple accounts
If you have more than one Gmail account, you can set a different signature for each one. The signature setting is tied to the specific account you are signed into, so switching accounts means switching signatures automatically.
To set up signatures for your other accounts, sign out of your current Gmail account and sign into the next one. Repeat the same process: go to Settings, find the Signature section, create your signature, and save. Each account stores its own signature separately, so you can have a professional signature on your work account and a casual one on your personal account.
Turn off your signature for specific emails
Once you have set a signature, it appears on every email you send by default. If you need to send an email without the signature, you can remove it before sending. Open the compose window, scroll to the bottom where your signature appears, and delete the text manually. The signature will still be in your settings and will return on your next email.
This is useful when you are sending a very short message, forwarding something that already has contact information, or sending an email where you want to keep things minimal. Deleting it from one email does not affect your signature setting, so it will be back the next time you compose.
Fix common signature problems
If your signature is not appearing on emails you send, first check that you actually saved it in settings. Go back to Settings, scroll to the Signature section, and confirm that text is there and the radio button next to your signature is selected. If the box is empty, you need to create the signature again.
If your signature appears on new emails but not on replies, this is normal Gmail behavior — signatures only appear on new messages, not on replies or forwarded emails. If you want your signature on a reply, you can add it manually by typing it at the bottom of your message.
If your signature looks different in the email than it did in settings — for example, the colors changed or the formatting shifted — this usually happens because the recipient's email program displays it differently. Gmail shows your signature one way, but Outlook, Yahoo Mail, or other programs may render it slightly differently. Test by sending to different email services to see how it appears.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use an image or logo in my Gmail signature?
Gmail's web signature editor does not have a built-in image upload button, but you can paste an image if you copy it from another source. Open an image in your browser, right-click it, select "Copy image", then paste it into your signature text box. The image will appear in your signature on new emails. Keep images small so they do not make your signature take up too much space.
Why does my signature not show up on emails I send from my phone?
Gmail's mobile app does not display the signature editor, and signatures created on the web do not automatically appear in the mobile app. You can add a signature manually in the mobile app's settings, but it is a separate process from your web signature. For consistency, most people set their signature on a computer and then add the same text manually in the mobile app.
Can I have multiple signatures and choose which one to use?
Gmail's free version only allows one signature per account. If you need different signatures for different purposes, you can create a second Gmail account and set a different signature on each one, then switch between them. Some third-party email tools offer multiple signature options, but they require additional setup outside of Gmail.
What happens to my signature if I delete my Gmail account?
Your signature is stored in your Gmail settings and will be deleted along with your account if you delete it. If you want to keep your signature text, copy it from your settings before you delete your account. Once the account is gone, you cannot recover the signature.
Does my signature appear in emails I send to myself?
Yes, your signature appears on emails you send to yourself just like any other email. This is actually helpful for testing how your signature looks before you send it to other people.