How to add or change an email signature in Gmail/Google Apps

avatar Published on 2013-07-05 12:03:19
by Adam the 32-bit Aardvark

63 Comments | 63 Replies

IMPORTANT: Before you begin, make sure that you don’t have Plain text mode enabled. To learn how to disable it click here.

1. While logged in to your Gmail / Google Apps account click the gear icon in the upper right corner (Fig.1) and select Settings:

Settings/Gear icon in Gmail
Fig.1. Settings/Gear icon in Gmail/Google Apps.

2. In the General tab (default), scroll down to the Signature section (Fig.2).

Signature section in the General tabFig.2. Signature section in the General tab. The Insert this signature before quoted text… option allows you to decide whether the signature should be inserted right below your reply/forward text (option checked) or at the very bottom of the conversation chain (option unchecked).

3. Create or modify the signature. The editor gives you a few basic formatting options such as font face, font size (small, normal, large and huge), hyperlinks, images, alignment etc. To compose more advanced email signatures, use this free email signature generator. Signatures composed within the generator can be easily copied and pasted to the Gmail’s editor.

To add an image to your signature, click the Insert Image button:

Gmail - Insert image in email signature

In the resulting dialog, navigate to the image and click Select. (once the image is inserted you can change its position by dragging and dropping)

To add a hyperlink to an image or text, highlight it and click the Link button:

Gmail - Add hyperlink in email signature

Complete the resulting Edit link dialog and click OK.

4. When you are finished, scroll down to the bottom and click Save Changes (Fig.3).

Save changes button
Fig.3. Save Changes button at the bottom of the General tab.

NOTE: If in the Gmail message composer you selected Plain text mode (Fig.4), the options in the Signature section (Fig.2) will be: No signature and Plain text (you will not be able to use any text formatting). To use a rich text signature editor as in Fig. 2, click your Inbox to switch to Inbox view, click Compose to open the message composer, click the downward More options arrow in the lower right corner, uncheck Plain text mode, wait a couple of seconds for the changes to be saved and go back to Settings, General, Signature (Fig.2).

Plain text mode and the More options arrow in the Gmail message composer
Fig.4. Plain text mode and the More options arrow in the Gmail message composer.

After successfully completing the procedure, every new email, reply or forward you compose will already contain your signature in the position you selected in Step 2.

For more on Gmail/Google Apps signatures consult this Google Support article.

Organization-wide email signatures in Google Apps

If you need to quickly set up multiple professional email signatures for Google Apps for Business users, make sure to check out CodeTwo Email Signatures. Download the program for free and give it a 30-day test drive.

63 thoughts on “How to add or change an email signature in Gmail/Google Apps”

  1. Phil Feinberg / Linda Corbet

    I need help deleting an old email address above my signature. The old one keeps showing up when I compose a new email….Please help…..Phil

    Reply ↓
    1. Paweł Krzemiński

      Hi Phil,

      Please provide more details about your email signature setup + are you using Gmail or configuring the signature in the Google Apps admin panel? + are other changes being correctly applied to the signature (if you haven’t checked yet, please do so)?

      Thank you,
      Pawel

      Reply ↓
  2. Nancy

    I am having issues inserting an image into my google mail.
    I’ve tried it with jpegs and gifs. I’ve tried putting my images into flickr and photobucket and even tried sending an email to myself and clicking on the image and using that link. But no matter which URL I use, it won’t show up. I can’t continue because the OK button is grayed out and nothing happens. I’ve tried all the links that will come with an image, I’ve tried re-naming the image, I’ve tried different browsers for the images. Nothing is working for me. Is there some setting in my chrome browser that I need to change? I’ve searched google for a very long time and no help so far 🙁

    Using Google Chrome, google mail, PC, Windows 7. The images are 32×32 png images. Tried grabbing images from Chrome and Firefox from the above mentioned sites.

    Links from one image: https://flic.kr/p/wj3utr or https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?tab=wm#inbox/14eb1c109e32b935?projector=1 and I can’t get Photobucket to work, so I can’t provide that link at this time.

    Reply ↓
    1. Nancy

      I left out that I am having problems inserting and image into google mail SIGNATURE…sorry. That was important 🙂

      Reply ↓
      1. Paweł Krzemiński

        Hi Nancy,

        If Photobucket doesn’t work, I think your best option is uploading the image directly to your gmail account using the ‘Upload’ option in the image picker:

        Is this an option for you?

        Best regards,
        Pawel

        Reply ↓
  3. Breanna Bouwman

    I am trying to add the hyperlink to my images I have in my signature, but it will only add the link address after the image. How do I make the image hyperlinked to the webpage I need it to go to?

    Reply ↓
      1. Paweł Krzemiński

        Hi Bobbi,

        You have to make sure that ‘Plain text mode’ is disabled. I’ve added information how to disable it at the top of my article.

        Once you disable ‘Plain text mode’, the hyperlink button will be located in the ribbon of Gmail’s email signature editor:

        To hyperlink an image, highlight the image by clicking on it (scaling handles will appear around it, as in the above image), and then click the hyperlink button and type/paste the URL you want.

        Hope this helps,
        Pawel

        Reply ↓
        1. Jennifer

          I am not sure that I am doing this correctly either. It shows the Facebook icon, but it still shows the url next to the icon. I’m trying to make a hyperlink in my signature on gmail for my business that is on Facebook.

          Reply ↓
  4. Mike

    Google has a 10k limit on signatures, here is what I am trying to use:

    our work is to discover your work and then with all your heart to give yourself to it. 
- Buddha –

    I get the message that my signature is too long.

    Suggestions?

    Reply ↓
    1. Paweł Krzemiński

      Hi Mark,

      You can do this by following the steps from my article. In the signature editor (screenshot in Step 3.), delete the existing phone number and type in the new one.

      Reply ↓
    1. Paweł Krzemiński

      Hi Erin, Do I understand correctly that, after you modify the signature and click Save changes it reverts back to the old signature?

      Reply ↓
    1. Paweł Krzemiński

      Hi Ellie,

      If your icons are small enough to fit into the signature horizontally and Gmail still messes them up, I don’t think there’s much you can do on this end.

      Is Gmail part of your company’s email service or is this for personal use?

      Reply ↓
  9. kris

    Hi Pawel,
    The photo of instagram I’m using does not show up. It looks like a question mark, but when I go in the settings it shows up fine.

    Reply ↓
  10. Sunil

    Hi Pawel,
    I have inserted social media images on to my signature.
    To this I want to add hyperlink.
    As per your tutorial it says to highlight image then click on link and had hyperlink.
    But this doesn’t work as when i try to highlight image e.g. Facebook it doe not highlight in fact it highlights the whole signature box and the hyperlink then appears as a text at the end of all the images I have added.
    I have also disabled Plain Text Mode but yet it doesn’t work.
    Please help ASAP.
    Thank you

    Reply ↓
        1. Sunil

          i can send you screen shots if it makes it easier…
          i have Facebook, twitter, pinterest, instagram and youtube icons to which i want to add hyperlink.
          when i click on the small icon image it highlights the whole signature box rather then the icon image therefore the hyperlink then gets pasted as a text where ever the cursor is placed…
          hope it all makes sense

          Reply ↓
  11. Sunil

    i have taken screen shot and trying to attach to this reply but cannot….
    its safari i am using and what technical specifications you need please advise
    image i am using is one downloaded from google for all social media

    Reply ↓
    1. Paweł Krzemiński

      It’s possible that Safari might be the culrpit. Any chance that you could test this on a different browser, e.g. Firefox?

      Reply ↓
  13. Sunil

    Hi Pawel,
    I have just tried using Google Chrome instead of Safari and the same thing happens …
    tried to highlight Facebook icon image and the whole signature box got highlighted so hyper link got pasted as in text form and not linked to image

    Reply ↓
  14. Sunil

    i am trying to use Firefox and its strange that when I am signed on to my Gmail account and go to settings, in my signature box there are no icon images so am at a standstill now

    Reply ↓
  15. Sunil

    but on firefox i cannot upload…
    i am trying to do the same in the signature box
    it doesn’t even have our logo in the signature box which appears on Google chrome and safari
    sorry but totally lost here now
    i also tried to compose and get options to uncheck plain text on firefox but i am not getting that options either
    getting so frustrated and don’t know what to do

    Reply ↓
  16. Sunil

    is there any way i can send you a screen shot please of our signature as to how it appears on safari and google chrome settings and how it appears on Firefox settings

    Reply ↓
  17. Sunil

    when i signed into gmail on firefox and clicked on settings I can see the signature but no logo and no icon images of social media….
    trying to add all those on Firefox then I cannot as I am not getting the options on top the signature box to upload images or the link icon

    Reply ↓
    2. Paweł Krzemiński

      The last screenshot suggests that Firefox for Mac does not support modern Gmail. Maybe a screenshot of the faulty highlight would shed some light.

      Reply ↓
        1. Paweł Krzemiński

          Hi Sunil, Unless your whole signature is one image, I have no idea what’s going on. If the former is true, correct this by creating a signature with text and separate images.

          Reply ↓
          1. Sunil

            It is one box that I get on Gmail settings and in that I have created the signature with text and images BUT when I try to highlight one image it highlights the whole box and not the image….
            there is no facility to create signature on Gmail settings without getting in the BIG square box…

        1. Adam the 32-bit Aardvark Post author

          Hi Sunil
          I had the same problem as you and managed to fix it quickly. Instead of clicking the picture directly, try to click and drag to highlight it (the same way you would highlight text) and then insert the hyperlink while the picture is highlighted.
          Please let me know if it helped.

          Reply ↓
  20. Jennifer

    I’m not sure that I am doing this correctly. I am trying to insert a hyperlink into my gmail signature for my business on Facebook. I put in the Icon and clicked the link and added the URL, but the URL still shows up next to the Icon…is this right?

    Reply ↓
  21. Lynn Burnes

    I can’t figure out where to change the website hyperlink text in my gmail signature. The problem isn’t with the signature itself, it’s that the hyperlink picks up text from my homepage on my website that doesn’t fit with the image next to it. I’m not sure if this is a website fix or a gmail signature fix. Thanks.

    Reply ↓
    1. Kamil Glaser

      Hi Lynn,
      When you click the link button, you can set the text which is displayed and the address the link leads to, the hyperlink should never pick up text from your homepage. You can also select the text or image and click the link button then – your selection will lead to the link you choose, then.

      Reply ↓
  22. Tina

    have just replaced my e-signature successfully. However it is now auto returning to any sender when I open an email to me. Obviously with no content!
    How do I stop this?

    Reply ↓
    1. Kamil Glaser

      Hi Tina,
      You might have turned on your auto responder by accident. In the general>settings tab, make sure that at the very bottom your Vacation responder is off. If it is already off or changing the settings does not help, consider contacting Gmail support by clicking the gear icon and selecting Send feedback.

      Reply ↓
  23. Kevin Robbins

    I have an email (gmail) account that is for an events coordinator and the previous coordinators name still shows up on emails sent and everyone thinks i am that previous person. I was able to change signature line to my name but cant figure out how to change it on the senders.

    Reply ↓
    1. Kamil Glaser

      Hi Kevin,
      You can change your sender’s information by going to Settings > Accounts and Import > Send mail as > edit info There, you can change the name which is shown on mail you send. It might also be a good idea to send an email to people from your address book and inform them that there has been a change in personnel.

      Reply ↓
  24. Tariq

    ÈI have created the signature with text and images BUT when I try to highlight one image it highlights the whole box and not the image….
    there is no facility to create signature on Gmail settings without getting in the BIG square box…

    Sunil

    Reply ↓
    1. Kamil Glaser

      You could try clicking somewhere inside the box and highlight the image using “shift+arrow keys”. If it still does not work it might mean that you either have your entire signature pasted as an image or you experience some strange bug. In both cases, the easiest solution would be to recreate the signature from scratch. You can highlight everything, copy the signature, paste it into (for example) MS Word to make some changes and paste it back into the Gmail signature editor. Alternatively, you can use our free email signature generator.

      Reply ↓

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