Add a Custom Signature to Every Gmail You Send

How to add a signature in Gmail

A Gmail signature appears at the bottom of every email you send — it's the digital version of signing your name on a letter. You can add one by opening Gmail settings, finding the Signature section, typing what you want to appear, and saving it. The signature will then automatically attach to all new emails unless you turn it off for a specific message.

The process takes about two minutes and works the same way whether you use Gmail on a computer or through the Gmail app on your phone. You can have multiple signatures and choose which one to use for each email, or set one as your default so it appears automatically.

Key Takeaways

• Signatures are added in Gmail Settings under the Signatures section, and you can create more than one to use for different purposes.
• You can format your signature with bold text, links, and line breaks, but not images or colored backgrounds.
• Once saved, your signature appears automatically on all new emails, but you can remove it from individual messages before sending.
• Mobile Gmail does not let you create or edit signatures, but it will show any signature you created on a computer.

Opening Gmail settings and finding the Signatures section

On a computer, open Gmail and look for the gear icon in the top right corner of the page. Click it and select "See all settings" from the dropdown menu. You'll land on the Settings page with several tabs across the top — click the "Forwarding and POP/IMAP" tab, then scroll down until you see "Signature" listed below it.

If you don't see a Signatures section, your Gmail account may not have it turned on yet. Scroll back to the top of Settings, click the "General" tab, and look for "Signature" there. Some older accounts keep signatures in the General tab instead of Forwarding and POP/IMAP. Once you find it, you're ready to create your first one.

Writing and formatting your signature

Click the text box next to "Signature" and type whatever you want to appear at the bottom of your emails. Most people use their name, job title, phone number, and email address, but you can include anything — a quote, your website URL, your pronouns, or just your initials.

You can make text bold by selecting it and clicking the bold button (B), or add a link by selecting text, clicking the link icon, and pasting a URL. You can also press Enter to create line breaks and organize your signature into multiple lines. Gmail's signature editor does not support images, colored backgrounds, or fancy fonts, so keep formatting simple — plain text with bold and links works best and loads fastest for the people receiving your emails.

Creating multiple signatures for different purposes

If you want different signatures for work emails versus personal emails, or for different roles, you can create more than one. In the Signatures section, look for a link that says "Create new" or a plus icon. Click it, give your new signature a name (like "Work" or "Client Emails"), and type the text you want.

Once you've created multiple signatures, you'll see a dropdown menu in the Signatures section labeled "Default signature." Choose which one you want to appear automatically on all new emails. When you compose a new email, you can click the dropdown at the bottom of the message and switch to a different signature before sending — the default will not lock you into using it for every single email.

Removing or changing your signature

To remove a signature entirely, go back to Settings, find the Signatures section, delete all the text in the box, and click Save. Your emails will no longer have a signature attached. If you want to keep a signature but remove it from just one email, open that email while composing it, look for the signature at the bottom, and delete it manually before you send.

To change an existing signature, go back to Settings, find the Signatures section, edit the text, and click Save. The new version will appear on all emails you send from that point forward — it won't change signatures on emails you've already sent.

Using signatures on your phone or tablet

The Gmail app on Android and iPhone does not let you create or edit signatures directly in the app. If you want to add or change a signature, you'll need to do it on a computer using the steps above. Once you've created a signature on a computer, it will automatically appear on emails you send from the Gmail app.

If you need to remove the signature from a specific email sent from your phone, open the email while you're composing it, scroll to the bottom, and delete the signature text before sending. The signature will still appear on your next email unless you turn it off in Settings on a computer.

Troubleshooting signatures that don't appear

If you've created a signature but it's not showing up on your emails, first check that you clicked Save at the bottom of the Signatures section — changes don't take effect until you save them. Then compose a new email and check the bottom of the message to see if the signature appears there.

If the signature still doesn't show, check whether you've set a default signature. Go back to Settings, find the Signatures section, and make sure the dropdown next to "Default signature" is set to the signature you created, not to "None." If you have multiple signatures and only one is set as default, the others will only appear if you manually select them from the dropdown while composing an email.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add an image or logo to my signature?

Gmail's signature editor does not support images or logos directly. If you need a logo in your signature, you can insert an image into an email while composing it, but it won't save as part of your signature template. For business emails with logos, consider using Gmail's templates feature instead, which lets you save full email layouts with images.

Will my signature appear on emails I forward or reply to?

By default, your signature appears only on new emails you compose. When you reply to or forward an email, Gmail does not automatically add your signature — you have to add it manually if you want it. Some email clients have settings to add signatures to replies, but Gmail's standard behavior is to leave replies signature-free unless you add one yourself.

What if I want different signatures for different email addresses?

If you have multiple Gmail accounts, each one has its own Settings and Signatures section. Log into each account separately and create a signature for that account. When you switch between accounts in Gmail, the signature for the account you're using will appear automatically on new emails from that address.

Can I use special characters or emojis in my signature?

Yes, you can type emojis and special characters into your signature the same way you would in any email. Keep in mind that some older email clients may not display emojis correctly, so if your recipients use very old email programs, stick to standard text and punctuation.