Using a signature can make all of your messages consistent with how you sign them and provides the recipient with your contact information. 

You may also want to use signatures if you repeatedly send the same message text.  A signature can be a template for messages you send so you don't have to retype the same text over and over. 

To create an institutional signature showing your affiliation with the University of Iowa, see Email Signatures for information.

1. Choose File | Options | Mail and click on the Signatures button.
2. Click the New button on the Signatures and Stationery window.
3. Enter a name for your new signature (e.g., "invite") and click OK.
4. Enter your text in the Edit signature text box. This will be the text that will not change. Note: You must set default signatures for new messages and replies/forwards – it can be “none”
5. Click the OK button to return to the Options menu.
6. Click the OK button to close the Options menu.

1. Create a new message or reply to an existing message.
2. Click down arrow of Signature icon
3. Select the signature you wish to use and edit the text as needed.
4. Click the Send button to send the message.

See Create and add a signature to messages for more information. 

Using a signature can make all of your messages consistent with how you sign them and provides the recipient with your contact information. 

You may also want to use signatures if you repeatedly send the same message text.  A signature can be a template for messages you send so you don't have to retype the same text over and over. 

To create an institutional signature showing your affiliation with the University of Iowa, see Email Signatures for information.

Create a Signature

      Outlook for Windows (New) and Outlook on the web (OWA)

1. Login to Outlook on the web
2. Click Outlook
3. Click Settings (gear icon)
4. Choose Accounts
5. Choose Signatures
6. In the Email Signature box, click the + New Signature link
7. Type the name of the signature in the Edit signature name box
8. Click in the box to type the text of the signature
9. Select your preference using the down arrow in the For New Messages: box
10. Select your preference using the down arrow in the For Replies/Forwards: box 
11. Click Save

Outlook for Mac (New and Legacy)

1. Click Outlook (on the upper left) | Preferences | Signatures
2. Click the "+" at the bottom left of the screen to add a new signature
3. Type the name of the signature in the Edit signature name box
4. Click in the box to type the text of the signature
5. Select your preference using the down arrow in the For New Messages: box
6. Select your preference using the down arrow in the For Replies/Forwards: box 
7. Click Save (disk icon)

Use a Signature Automatically

Outlook for Windows (New) and Outlook on the web (OWA) 

After creating the signature:

1. In Settings > Accounts > Signatures, choose the signature from the New messages dropdown.
2. Choose the signature from the Replies and forwards dropdown, if desired.
3. Click Save. The selected signature will automatically appear when composing messages. 

Outlook for Mac (New and Legacy)

After creating the signature:

1. In Prefences > Signatures, choose the signature from the New messages dropdown.
2. Choose the signature from the Replies and forwards dropdown, if desired.
3. Click Save. The selected signature will automatically appear when composing messages. 

Sending a Message Using a Signature

      Outlook for Windows

1. Create a new message or reply to an existing message.
2. Click down arrow of Signature icon
3. Select the signature you wish to use and edit the text as needed.

4. Click the Send button to send the message.

   Outlook for Mac

5. Create a new message or reply to an existing message.
6. Click the Signature dropdown icon that is to the right of the picture icon on the taskbar. 
7. Choose which signature you wish to send

8. Click the Send button. 

   Outlook on the web

9. If you didn't select "Automatically include my signature in messages I send" when you created the signature, do the following:
10. Create a new message or reply to an existing message.
11. Click the signature icon and select Outlook Web Signature (or the name you gave your signature)

12. Click the Send button. 

     

    See Create and add a signature to messages for more information. 

If you find that you repeatedly send the same message, you may want to create a new template. You can create a template containing any information which will remain constant, save the template, and then use the template to send a new message.

For more information see:

Create an email message template

Automate common or repetitive tasks with Quick steps in Outlook

If you find that you repeatedly send the same message, you may want to create a new template. You can create a template containing any information which will remain constant, save the template, and then use the template to send a new message.

Mail Templates (Best for full emails)

Use this when you want to save an entire message, including the subject line, formatting, recipients, and attachments. 

Create a template

1. Select New Mail.
2. Create your email with the content you want to reuse.
3. On the message ribbon, select Mail template > Save email as template.
4. Enter a template name.
5. Click Save.  

Use a template

1. Select New > Mail from template.
2. Choose the template you want.
3. Make any necessary edits.
4. Send the email. 

Manage templates

1. Select Settings (gear icon).
2. Go to Mail > Templates.

3. View, edit, or delete saved templates.

    

New Outlook - My Templates (Best for text snippets)

Use this for frequently used paragraphs, greetings, or standard responses. It stores reusable text only. 

Create a text template

1. Select New Mail.
2. On the message ribbon, select Apps and My Templates.
3. In the pane that opens, select + Template.
4. Enter a title and the text you want to save.
5. Click Save.  

Insert a text template

1. Open a new email.
2. Select Apps and My Templates.
3. Click the template name.
4. The text is inserted into your email. 

Common Use Cases

• Mail Templates: Customer notifications, onboarding emails, recurring announcements, approval requests.
• My Templates: Standard greetings, troubleshooting steps, signature blocks, canned responses. 

Stationery in Outlook is designed more for creating a "wallpaper background" for your messages. Keep in mind that when you create a message using stationery, it creates a larger message that is may be unreadable by some email applications.

Creating a Stationery File

Outlook for Windows (Classic)

1. Choose File | Options | Mail, click on the Stationery and Fonts button.
2. Select the Personal Stationery tab.
3. Click the Theme button to create a theme or stationery for new HTML e-mail messages. 

4. Choose a Theme and click OK.
5. Click OK again.

This stationery file will be the default for new HTML messages.

Use a one-time stationery file to send a message

Outlook for Windows (Classic)

1. Select New Items | Email Message Using | More Stationery.
2. Choose any Theme from the list and click OK.
3. Type the text of your message and send when finished. 

For more information see: 

Create stationery for email messages

Apply stationery, backgrounds, or themes to email messages