Email signatures
Use a plain, recognizable professional email signature.
Start with the sender's name, role, company, and one useful contact path. Add images, links, and approved legal text only when they serve the recipient or a real requirement.
Simple formula
Name, role, company, one useful path.
Add logos, photos, social links, and disclaimers only when they are approved and needed for identity or the planned response path.
Identify the sender
The signature should confirm who sent the email, what role they hold, and how the recipient can respond.
Keep it compact
Folderly's editorial default is to keep the signature subordinate to the message and readable on a narrow screen.
Use only useful links
Include the website, calendar, or profile link only when it helps the recipient take the next step.
Provider setup
Configure the signature where the message is sent.
Menu names can change. Use the linked provider instructions as the source of truth, then send a real test from every client your team uses.
Gmail on a computer
- 1Open Settings, choose See all settings, and stay on the General tab.
- 2Create the signature in the Signature section and assign defaults for new messages and replies when needed.
- 3Save the settings, send a test, and inspect both a new message and a reply.
Outlook on the web
- 1Open Settings, then Mail, then Compose and reply.
- 2Create the signature and choose whether Outlook applies it to new messages, replies, or both.
- 3Send a test outside your organization and inspect desktop and phone rendering.
Apple Mail on Mac
- 1Open Mail, then Settings, then Signatures.
- 2Select the sending account, add the signature, and choose a default when the account has more than one.
- 3Send a test with and without images loaded, then check a reply thread.
Essentials
Include what helps the recipient respond.
The signature is not a landing page. It should answer identity, credibility, and contact questions quickly.
Full name
Use the name recipients will recognize in replies and calendar invites.
Role or function
A title, team, or function gives context without needing a long bio.
Company
Use the company name or brand the recipient expects to see.
Primary contact path
Use one direct email, phone, or calendar link when it supports the ask.
Website or profile
Add one verified link when it belongs to the intended context or response path.
Required legal text
Use language approved for your company, message type, and recipient jurisdiction.
Examples
Three fictional signature formats.
These are fictional formatting examples, not customer signatures or evidence of campaign results. Replace every field with verified sender details. Unless a recommendation is linked to a provider or regulator, treat it as conservative Folderly editorial guidance, not a provider requirement or measured performance outcome.
Minimal business signature
Alex Rivera
Marketing Director, Example Company
alex@example.com | example.com
Illustrative for a B2B message whose body already provides the needed context.
Sales signature
Jordan Lee
Account Executive, Example Company
jordan@example.com | Book a time: example.com/meet
Illustrative when the planned next step is a conversation and the sender has approved a scheduling link.
Executive signature
Morgan Chen
Chief Revenue Officer, Example Company
morgan@example.com | +1 555 010 0200
Illustrative for an executive sender who has approved a direct phone contact path.
Layout
Design for inbox clients, not for a webpage.
Email clients handle HTML differently. A practical signature uses simple structure and keeps important information as readable text.
Use text before images
Keep the sender identity understandable when images are not displayed.
Avoid wide table-heavy layouts
Folderly's conservative editorial default is a vertical text stack; validate it in every client your team uses.
Limit links
Each added link creates another destination and, when tagged, another tracking element to review.
Keep brand color restrained
Folderly's editorial default is one accent color or none so the signature stays subordinate to the message.
Mobile
Check the signature on a phone before rollout.
Remove
Items that do not serve the reply.
Compliance
Required disclaimers should be approved and short.
Some teams need confidentiality notices, registration details, or other approved language. For US commercial email, the FTC lists accurate sender information, a valid physical postal address, and a working opt-out method among the CAN-SPAM requirements, including for B2B messages. Decide with counsel or your compliance owner whether required footer content belongs in the signature or elsewhere in the template. This guide is not legal advice. Review the FTC compliance guide.
Source ledger
Primary sources behind this guide.
Folderly Research verified these pages on 21 August 2026. Provider documentation controls if a menu path or product setting changes.
Gmail signature creation, formatting, and default-signature controls.
Outlook on the web signature creation and default-use controls.
Apple Mail signature creation, account assignment, and default selection.
US commercial-email sender information, postal-address, and opt-out duties.
Limits and uncertainty
Verify the rendered message.
Provider menus and defaults can change after this review date.
Recipient clients can restyle HTML or block images, so text must carry the identity.
Requirements vary by message and jurisdiction; use approved legal guidance.
This checklist does not guarantee replies, delivery, or inbox placement.
Maintenance
Folderly Research and Revenue Operations.
Next scheduled review: 19 November 2026. Review sooner if Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail, or applicable regulatory guidance changes, or if a cited page moves.
FAQ
Email signature questions.
What makes a good email signature?
A good email signature identifies the sender, gives one useful contact path, stays compact, and renders clearly on desktop and mobile.
How long should an email signature be?
Keep it short enough to scan in a reply thread. Add disclaimers or extra links only when they are required or directly useful.
Should I include a photo or logo?
A logo or photo is optional. If you use one, keep it small and make sure the signature still works when images are blocked.
Where should I configure the signature?
Configure it in the sending client or an approved team-management system, set the correct new-message and reply defaults, and send test messages before rollout.
Next step
Review the complete email before campaign use.
If the message and signature are ready, run their combined text through the deliverability checker for a risk review. It does not test client rendering or guarantee inbox placement.