A professional email signature makes every email you send look polished and credible. This guide shows you exactly how to create one in Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo Mail — plus what to include, what to avoid, and a ready-to-use template.
Think of your email signature the way you think of a business card — except it reaches every single person you email, every single day, for free. A good signature builds trust, makes it easy for people to contact you, and shows you take your communication seriously.
Yet most people either skip it entirely or throw together something messy with too many fonts, colors, and inspirational quotes. Let’s do this properly.
What Should a Professional Email Signature Include?
A great professional signature has five essential parts and nothing unnecessary:
✔ Your full name
✔ Your job title
✔ Company name
✔ Phone number
✔ Website or LinkedIn URL
✔ Clean, simple formatting
✘ Inspirational quotes
✘ 5+ different font colors
✘ Animated GIFs or logos
✘ Your full mailing address (unless needed)
✘ Social media icons for personal accounts
✘ “Sent from my iPhone” (delete this!)
A Clean Professional Signature — Example
Here’s what a well-designed professional email signature looks like:
Rahul Sharma
Senior Technology Writer
Edudwar.com
📞 +91 98765 43210
🌐 www.edudwar.com
🔗 linkedin.com/in/rahulsharma
Simple. Clean. Every important detail is there. Nothing to distract from it. This is the format that works in every industry — from corporate offices to freelancers and students.
How to Add a Signature in Gmail
Open Gmail on your computer (not the mobile app — signature settings are easier on desktop). Make sure you’re signed into the correct account.
Click the Settings gear icon ⚙️ in the top-right corner, then click “See all settings” from the dropdown menu.
Stay on the “General” tab and scroll down until you see the “Signature” section. Click “Create new”.
Give your signature a name (e.g., “Work Signature”) — this is just for your reference. You can have multiple signatures for different purposes.
Type your signature in the text box. Use the formatting toolbar to adjust font size (keep it at 10–12pt), add a divider line, or insert a link.
Under “Signature defaults”, select your new signature for both “For New Emails” and “For Replies/Forwards.” This ensures it appears automatically.
Scroll to the very bottom and click “Save Changes.” Open a new email to preview how it looks.
In Gmail, you can create multiple signatures — one for work emails, one for personal emails, one for newsletters. Switch between them using the pen icon at the bottom of the compose window.
How to Add a Signature in Outlook
Open Outlook on your computer. Click File in the top-left menu, then click Options.
In the Options window, click “Mail” from the left panel, then click the “Signatures…” button.
Click “New” in the Signatures and Stationery dialog, give your signature a name, and click OK.
Type and format your signature in the edit box. Use the formatting tools to adjust text size and style. Keep fonts to one — ideally Calibri or Arial in 10–11pt.
In the “Default signature” dropdown menus, select your signature for “New messages” and “Replies/forwards.” Click OK to save.
How to Add a Signature in Yahoo Mail
Open Yahoo Mail in a browser. Click the Settings icon ⚙️ in the top-right, then click “More Settings.”
Click “Writing email” from the left-side menu.
Scroll to “Signature” and toggle it ON. A text box will appear where you can type and format your signature.
Type your signature, format it simply, then click “Save” at the top. It will now appear automatically on all new emails.
How to Add Your Signature on Mobile
Keep your email signature the same across desktop and mobile. A mismatch looks unprofessional — some mobile signatures say “Sent from my iPhone” while the desktop one is fully formatted. Update both.
Tips for a Better Email Signature
Use one font, one color scheme. Mixing fonts and colors looks chaotic. Stick to one readable font (Calibri, Arial, or Georgia) and use your brand color — or just black — for text.
Keep it to 4–5 lines maximum. Signatures that run longer than your actual email message are a distraction. Name, title, company, phone, and one link is all you need.
Link to something useful. Instead of listing all your social media, pick one — your LinkedIn profile or your company website. One good link is better than five ignored ones.
Add a small logo if you have one, but keep it under 100KB in file size. Large image attachments in signatures increase email size and can trigger spam filters.
Final Word
Your email signature is the digital equivalent of a handshake at the end of every conversation. It takes five minutes to set up and works for you forever after. Keep it simple, keep it professional, and make sure every email you send leaves a good impression without the reader even noticing the signature — that’s when you know it’s done right.
Tags:
Email Signature
Gmail Tips
Outlook
Yahoo Mail
Professional Email
Email Setup
