How to add a signature in Gmail in one minute

Tired of typing your email signature every single time? 😩

In this guide, we’ll walk you through the simple steps (no tech jargon!) to set up a clean, professional, and automatic Gmail signature. Whether you’re on a computer, mobile device, or love stylish HTML signatures, we’ve got you covered. By the way, if you ever send an email by mistake, check out how to cancel a sent email in Gmail.

How to add a signature in Gmail (step-by-step guide)

On desktop

Step 1

In the top right corner, click on the ⚙️ gear icon, then select See all settings.

Step 2

Go to the General tab and scroll down to the Signature section. Click on Create new signature.

Step 3

Give your signature a name.

In the text editor, create your signature by adding:

Your name and job title
Your contact details
Links to your social media profiles
An image or logo.

💡 Pro Tip from Mail Merge for Gmail: To make your signature look more professional, use formatting tools like bold, italics, color, and alignment. If you also want to insert a table into a Gmail message for a more structured signature, check out this guide. If you find yourself losing track of emails, you may want to check how to find unread emails in Gmail.

Step 4

In the Signature defaults section:

Choose a default signature for new emails.
For replies/forwards, you can either select a default signature or leave it as None to add it manually.

Step 5

Scroll to the bottom of the page and click Save Changes.

Open a new email to ensure your signature appears correctly.

On the Gmail Mobile App

Your signature will only appear in emails sent from the Gmail app! If you have multiple accounts in the Gmail app, you’ll need to set up a signature for each one individually.

Here’s how to do it:

Step 1: Open the Gmail app.

Tap the ☰ menu icon in the top left corner.

Scroll down and select Settings.

Step 2: Access account settings.

If you have multiple Gmail accounts, choose the one for which you want to add a signature.

Step 3: Add and customize your signature.

Tap Mobile Signature.

In the text field, enter your signature. You can include:

Your name
Your job title
Your contact details
A link to your website.

📌 Note: The Gmail app for Android does not support:

Rich text formatting (bold, italics, colors)
Adding images
Clickable links

Step 4: Save and test your signature.

Once you’ve entered your signature, tap OK to save it.

Go back to the Gmail home screen and tap Compose to check if your signature appears at the end of your email.

How to add multiple signatures in Gmail

This feature is especially useful for users who switch between different types of communication.

📌 Multiple signatures are only available on desktop.

You can follow the same signature creation steps as before and create as many signatures as you need. Don’t forget to click Save Changes at the bottom of the page!

How to choose a different signature when composing an email:

Open a new email in Gmail.
Click on the 🖊️ pen icon (Insert signature) at the bottom of the email.
Select the signature you want to use from the dropdown menu—it will automatically be inserted into your email.

💡 Pro Tip from Mail Merge for Gmail: Need to CC someone in Gmail? Check out this quick guide. If you want to schedule an email with your signature, Gmail has a built-in feature for that!

How to add an image or logo to your Gmail signature

You can follow the same signature creation steps as before.

📌 Adding images to signatures is only available on desktop.

To insert an image or logo, click on the 🖼️ “Insert image” icon in the formatting toolbar. Choose one of the following options:

Upload from your computer (JPG, PNG, or GIF recommended).
Add an image from Google Drive.
Insert an image via URL (if your logo is hosted online).

Once the image is inserted, resize it by clicking on it (choose between small, medium, or large).

Scroll down and click Save Changes. Open a new Gmail message to ensure your image displays correctly.

💡 Pro Tip from Mail Merge for Gmail: Use a PNG logo with a transparent background for a cleaner look. Optimize the size to prevent it from being too large (recommended width: 150-300 px). If your signature includes sensitive data and you want to send documents securely, check out this guide.

How to add an HTML signature in Gmail?

Adding an HTML signature in Gmail allows for advanced formatting with colors, images, clickable links, social media icons, banners, and other stylish elements.

📌 This option is only available on desktop.

Step 1: Create your HTML signature.

We recommend using a dedicated tool like Canva, HubSpot Email Signature Generator, or WiseStamp.

Step 2: Copy your HTML code.

Open the HTML file in a text editor (e.g., Notepad++, Sublime Text) or view it in a web browser.

Step 3: Paste the HTML code into Gmail.

In another tab, go to Gmail's signature settings.
Click Create new signature and give it a name.
Click inside the signature editor box.
Paste your HTML signature by pressing CTRL + V (Windows) / CMD + V (Mac).
Your signature will automatically appear with its formatting and images.

Step 4: Save and Test Your HTML Signature.

Scroll down and click Save Changes.

Compose a new Gmail message to check if your HTML signature displays correctly.

Ensure that links are clickable, images load properly, and formatting looks as expected.

How do I make my Gmail signature automatic?

If you want your Gmail signature to be automatically added to all your emails without manually inserting it each time, you need to set a default signature.

📌 This option is only available on desktop.

You can set a default signature for:

✅ New emails

✅ Replies and forwards

💡 Pro Tip from Mail Merge for Gmail: If you use Gmail on mobile, make sure to add a separate signature in the Gmail app settings. Signatures set on desktop do not sync to mobile. Curious whether someone has opened your email? Learn how to enable Gmail read receipts and track your emails like a pro.

Troubleshooting: common issues with Gmail signatures

Signature not showing up?

If your Gmail signature isn’t appearing in your emails, several issues could be causing this. Here are some possible solutions:

1️⃣ Check if the signature is enabled for your device.

On mobile (Android/iPhone/iPad), signatures set on desktop do not sync automatically. You’ll need to add a separate signature in the Gmail app settings.

2️⃣ Check if the signature appears in replies and forwards.

By default, Gmail does not always include signatures in replies to avoid cluttering email threads. To ensure your signature appears:

Go to Gmail Settings > Signature.
Select your signature for replies and forwards.
Enable the option “Insert this signature before quoted text in replies”.
Click Save Changes.

3️⃣ Check if your signature contains HTML or an external image.

If your signature includes an online-hosted image or HTML code, Gmail may sometimes block it from displaying.

Make sure the image is hosted on a publicly accessible server.

Try uploading your image to Google Drive and using a shared link.

If you're using HTML, test it by pasting it into an email draft to see if it displays correctly.

4️⃣ Disable browser extensions or content blockers.

Certain browser extensions (like AdBlock or script blockers) may prevent signatures from displaying properly. Try disabling extensions and reloading Gmail.

Why won't Gmail let me add a signature?

Here are the most common issues and how to fix them:

1️⃣ Your G Suite (Google Workspace) administrator has restricted signatures.

If you’re using a work or school Gmail account, your IT administrator may have disabled custom signatures.

✅ Solution: Contact your IT team to check if personalized signatures are allowed.

2️⃣ You’re using Gmail on mobile (Android/iPhone/iPad).

Gmail on Android and iOS does not support rich signatures (HTML, images, advanced formatting). Additionally, the signature set on desktop does not apply to emails sent from a mobile device.

✅ Solution: Set up a separate mobile signature in the Gmail app settings.

3️⃣ Your signature is too large or contains an unsupported format.

Gmail limits signature size to 10,000 characters. If your signature is too long or contains large images, Gmail may prevent it from saving.

✅ Solutions:

Shorten your signature by removing unnecessary elements.
Compress images using a tool like TinyPNG.
Use links instead of embedded images to reduce size.

Expert Insight: add a signature using Mail Merge for Gmail

When using Mail Merge for Gmail to send personalized email campaigns, your default Gmail signature is not automatically added to emails sent via this tool. This is because Mail Merge uses its own email templates.

👉How to include your signature in emails sent with Mail Merge for Gmail?

Step 1: Compose an email in Gmail and include the signature you want to use. Send it to yourself.

Step 2: In Google Chrome, click the three vertical dots in the top-right corner.

Select More tools.

Click Developer tools.

A panel will open.

Step 3: Open the "Elements" Tab. You'll see some HTML code—don’t worry, you don’t need to be a coder!

Step 4: Click on the “Select an element on the page to inspect it” icon .

Step 5 : Hover over your signature without clicking.

Once your entire signature is highlighted in blue, the corresponding HTML code will also be highlighted in the Elements panel on the right.

Step 6 : Click the three horizontal dots in the Elements panel.

Select Copy > Copy outerHTML.

Open Mail Merge for Gmail.

Step 7 : paste your signature into Mail Merge for Gmail.

Open the email template you use for your Mail Merge campaign.
Scroll to the bottom of the email.
Click the three horizontal dots, then select the “source code” icon (see the screenshot below).
Paste your HTML signature.
Click Save and Close.

That’s it! Here’s the final result!

Need more details? We’ve created a step-by-step video tutorial for you!

Conclusion

Adding a Gmail signature is a great way to personalize and professionalize your emails.

Want to take it a step further? If you’re sending bulk emails, try Mail Merge for Gmail, our top-rated tool integrated with Gmail and Google Sheets!