How to Add or Change Your Gmail Signature: A Step-by-Step Guide

Introduction

An email signature is a section of text that is automatically added to the end of emails. Signature text typically includes name, job title, company name, phone number, email address, or links to your website or social media accounts. With Gmail, you can customize your signature by using formatting options and adding images or links. Custom signatures add a personal touch to your emails and enhance professionalism.

This article explains why you should consider creating a signature for your emails and provides a detailed guide to adding Gmail signatures on both the desktop and the mobile app.

Why Use an Email Signature

1. Provides Contact Information at a Glance
   A well-crafted signature provides all essential contact information at a glance, such as a phone number, email address, and a link to your website or social media accounts. This saves time as you do not have to ask for this information from the other person.

2. Enhances Professionalism
   Using an email signature that provides essential contact information improves professionalism in business communication.

3. Represents your Brand
   Using your company logo or adding social media links to your signature helps represent your brand. Many companies require all their employees to use a standardized email signature for brand consistency and a professional appearance.

How to Add a Signature in Gmail

Gmail lets you add images and links to your signature and provides formatting options to add a personal touch to your emails. You can add multiple signatures to your Gmail account.

On Desktop

Here's a step-by-step guide on how to add a signature in Gmail.

1. Go to Gmail and sign in to your account.
2. Click on the gear icon at the top and select "See all settings."

3. In the General tab, scroll to the "Signature" section and click the "+ Create new" button.

4. Type a name for the signature and click "Create." A blank signature will be created.

5. Type the text for your signature in the textbox to the right. You can also add images and links.

6. Depending on your preference, choose whether you want the signature to be inserted for new emails, reply/forward emails, or both.

On Mobile (Android, iOS)

Follow the below steps to add a signature using the Gmail mobile app on Android or iOS:

1. Open Gmail.
2. Tap on the hamburger icon and open settings from the menu.

3. Tap on your email account for which you want to create a signature.
4. Tap on "Mobile signature" and type the text for your signature.

This signature will be automatically applied to all emails sent from the Gmail mobile app, including new ones and replies.

How to Create a Professional Email Signature

The formatting options for Gmail signatures are very limited. However, there are many online tools available such as WiseStamp that you can use to quickly create professional-looking email signatures. Using a signature generator saves time and effort. Simply select a template, enter information to be added in the signature and it will be ready to be used in a few minutes.

How to Change Email Signature in Gmail

Here's how you can change an existing email signature in Gmail:

1. Open Gmail on your desktop.
2. Click on the gear icon and select "See all settings."
3. In the General tab, scroll down to the "Signature" section.
4. Select the signature that you want to edit and make the changes in the editor located to the right.
5. Scroll to the bottom and click "Save Changes".

Multiple Email Signatures in Gmail

With Gmail, you can create multiple email signatures. You can use different signatures for personal and professional emails.

How to Use Multiple Signatures

You can change which signature you want Gmail to apply while composing the email. Here's how to do it:

1. Click on the pen icon at the bottom of the email. A menu listing all your added signatures will pop up.

2. Then, select which signature you want to apply to the email or click "No signature" if you don't want to add any signature.

The signature will change based on your selected option.

Different Signatures for Linked Accounts

Gmail lets you use different signatures if you are using the "Send mail as" feature to send emails from linked addresses. For example, if you linked your work email address to your primary email address but want to use different signatures for both addresses.

Setting up different signatures for linked accounts removes the need to change the signature each time you compose an email. Gmail handles which signature to use based on the address being used to send an email.

1. Open Gmail and go to "Settings".
2. In the General tab, go to the Signatures section.
3. From the "EMAIL ADDRESS" dropdown menu, select the account for which you want to set a signature, e.g., your work email address.
4. Then, select the signature you want to use for emails sent from the chosen account. For example, you would select the work signature to be used with your work email address.

Best Practices for Creating an Email Signature

A well-crafted email signature enhances professionalism. However, a poorly designed signature can do the opposite. It's crucial to take care of the following points while creating your email signature.

• Keep it Simple
  Keep your email signature simple and clean-looking. Adding too much styling, such as fancy fonts or colors, can make it seem unprofessional.

• Avoid Information Overload
  Your email signature should only include essential information. Avoid overloading it with unnecessary details, such as your home address, personal social media accounts, and any old achievements.

• Separate Signature for Replies/Forwards
  It is considered professional to use a different signature for replies and forwards. Create a separate signature that is concise to avoid repetition and cluttering email threads. Keep the main and longer signature for the initial email only.

• Add a Call-to-Action
  A call-to-action at the end of emails helps improve engagement. Add a relevant CTA such as "Schedule a Meeting," "Book a Call," or "Visit our Website".

Conclusion

This article explains email signatures and why you should create one if you haven't already. It provides a step-by-step guide to creating and editing email signatures in Gmail. A professional email signature that highlights your contact information and job title improves email communication. Keep your signature simple and avoid cluttering it with unnecessary details.