How to create an email signature in Outlook on Mac: step by step for 2026

Check which Outlook for Mac you use

Outlook for Mac has two layouts, and the menu names differ between them. This guide follows the new Outlook experience. Legacy Outlook is the older layout. Many search results still show legacy steps, so check your layout before you follow them.

Microsoft's Outlook for Mac page describes a Help menu option called Revert to Legacy Outlook. That option is the way back to the older layout. If you see it, you are on the new experience. To move to the new layout from legacy, turn off the Legacy Outlook switch in Outlook.

Microsoft's Outlook for Mac page lists macOS 10.14 (Mojave) or later as the requirement. Microsoft's signature article applies to Outlook for Microsoft 365 for Mac, Outlook 2024 for Mac, Outlook 2021 for Mac, and Office 365 Small Business. That article gives no version numbers and no last-updated date, so the release notes are where you check what changed.

Legacy support has a date you should know about. Microsoft's Outlook for Mac page says support for legacy Outlook for Mac will end in October 2026, and continued support depends on your Microsoft 365, Office, or Outlook license. That date has passed as of November 7, 2026. I could not confirm the current status from Microsoft's pages, so check the Outlook for Mac page before you plan around legacy.

Create the signature in new Outlook for Mac

Start in Settings, since that is where Outlook keeps signatures. The Settings screen was redesigned in version 16.108, released April 14, 2026, so screenshots from older guides can look different. The path itself stays the same: Mail, then Signatures.

Plan the text before you type. Most people need a name, a job title, one phone number, and one link. A short signature reads well on every screen. A long block with several logos and icons pushes your reply down and looks busy.

Put the text in the Signature editor, not in the message body. Text you type into a new message stays in that message. Only text entered in the Signature editor is saved as a signature you can insert again.

Set the default signature for each account

The default decides what Outlook adds without you asking. Under Set default signature, choose one account. Then pick a signature for For new messages and another for For replies or forwards. Microsoft says to set each account separately, so a work account and a personal account can use different signatures.

Here is a worked example. Say you have a work account and a personal account in the same Outlook. Set the work account to Work for new messages and Work short for replies. Set the personal account to Personal for new messages. Then open a new message from each account and check that the signature matches what you expected.

Defaults are tied to accounts, so a mistake usually shows up on one account only. If a new message from your personal account has no signature, you probably set the default on the work account.

Add a logo, link or table to the signature

The Signature editor does more than plain text. Select the See more items icon, the one shown as dots, to add a photo, logo, Link, or table. A logo suits a company signature. A booking link suits a consultant or a clinic. A table can list office hours, though tables may look odd on a phone.

Images had a bug in one build. A Microsoft Q&A thread from April 9, 2026 reports that on Outlook for Mac 16.107.4 the signature image option was grayed out. A moderator reproduced it and said that reverting to 16.107.3 restored image insertion. The reporter says 16.108 fixed it. If the option is grayed out for you, check your build before you try other fixes.

• Line 1: your full name, in bold if you like.
• Line 2: your job title and team.
• Line 3: one phone number, with the country code.
• Line 4: one link, such as your booking page or company website.
• Last: a small logo, if your company uses one.

Test the layout in a message to yourself before you rely on it. Images and tables can sit differently once they reach another mail app, so look at the message as the recipient will.

Insert a signature into an email

Creating a signature does not put it in every message by itself. Once a default is set, Outlook adds it to new messages for that account. You can also insert one by hand. Click in the message body, then select Signature on the Ribbon and pick the one you want.

If the Signature button is not visible, you may need the See more items icon to find it. Microsoft's article says that if the Signature button is missing from your toolbar, you can add it by customizing your toolbar. Do that once, and you can insert signatures from the same place every time.

How many signatures people actually use

The figure above comes from MySignature, which sells email signature tools. Its survey looked at 20,000 user accounts and more than 200 respondents in the US, UK, Germany, Spain, and India. The company gives the single-signature share as 89.96% in one place and 89.9% in another, so read it as a rough figure.

Most people, then, use one signature. If you send to clients and to your team with different content, a few signatures make sense. The Signatures window lets you add more with the Add icon. Give each one a clear name so you can tell them apart when you insert one.

Outlook on the web and legacy Outlook for Mac

In Outlook on the web, the path is different. Go to Settings > Accounts > Signatures. Create the signature, choose whether it goes on new messages and on replies or forwards, then select Save. Microsoft's web page does not say whether you can keep several signatures, so don't assume you can.

Legacy Outlook for Mac uses its own route. Go to Outlook > Settings > Email > Signatures. The defaults sit under Choose default signature, with New messages and Replies/forwards. To insert one, open the Message tab and select Signature. The legacy labels say Email and Choose default signature, where new Outlook says Mail and Set default signature.

Reply direction and managed Macs

Version 16.113, released September 16, 2026, changed how signatures sit in replies. Replies, forwards, initial content, and signatures now follow the left-to-right or right-to-left direction of the message you reply to. If you write in a right-to-left language, check a reply once after you update.

On a work Mac, IT may control signatures. Version 16.97, released May 13, 2025, added a managed preference that can disable the default signature. If your default keeps turning off, or the setting is grayed out, ask your IT team before you change anything. They may have turned it off on purpose.

Default signatures that reset on 16.108

A Microsoft Q&A thread from April 17, 2026 reports that on New Outlook for Mac 16.108, default signatures reverted to None after closing Settings. The moderator's steps were New Mail > Signatures > Manage Signatures, then select the correct account under Set default signatures, then fully close and reopen Outlook.

The thread was not marked resolved. The moderator says the steps work in their own testing, and the reporter's follow-up is not recorded. After the restart, open a new message and check the From line and the signature before you send anything important.

Test the signature before you rely on it

Send a message to yourself or to a second account you own. Check that the signature sits at the bottom, that any logo loads, and that each link opens. Then reply to the message and forward it. The reply default is easy to miss, so test it on purpose.

Test again after each Outlook update. Microsoft's release notes show signature changes in several builds, including 16.97, 16.108, and 16.113. A quick test catches a broken default before a client sees it.

Common mistakes with Outlook for Mac signatures

• Setting the default on one account and forgetting the others.
• Typing the signature into a message instead of the Signature editor, so it never saves.
• Adding a large logo file that makes every message heavy to send.
• Following legacy menu names inside the new Settings screen.
• Skipping replies and forwards when you test.
• Running an old build when a known bug has a fix in a newer one.

Most of these come down to one setting on one account. When a signature acts strangely, check the account first, then the default, then the build.

What to do next

Keep the signature current. Update the phone number and job title as they change, and check the signature after each major Outlook update. Read the Outlook for Mac release notes when a change matters to you, since Microsoft lists each build there.

If your company manages signatures for everyone, send your planned layout to your IT team first. They can tell you whether a managed preference applies to your Mac before you spend time on the fixes above.