Skip to content

Email signature not showing on replies? Fix it in Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail and Zoho

Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail and Zoho keep a separate default for replies. Here is where to set it in each app.
The Sendoff team3 min read

Need a signature that works in Gmail and Outlook? Build one free in about two minutes, no account needed.

Make my signature

When a signature appears on new emails but not on replies, the reply setting is almost always the cause. Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail and Zoho each keep one default for new messages and a separate one for replies and forwards, and each hides it in a different place. Find your app below, set the reply default, and send yourself a test reply.

Gmail

  1. Open Settings (gear) > See all settings > General.
  2. In Signature, choose your signature. Under Signature defaults, set it for both For new emails use and On reply/forward use.
  3. If the signature appears in the wrong place, tick Insert this signature before quoted text in replies and remove the "--" line that precedes it. See the guide to moving the Gmail signature up.
  4. Click Save Changes at the bottom of the page.

If you send from more than one address, each address has its own defaults. Select the address in the drop-down above the signature box and check both settings there. The Gmail app also has its own mobile signature, which is separate from this one. See the Gmail app guide.

New Outlook and Outlook on the web

  1. Open Settings (gear) > Accounts > Signatures.
  2. Select the pencil icon next to the signature.
  3. Under the editing box, tick the box for replies and forwards, as well as the one for new messages.
  4. Select Save.

Classic Outlook for Windows

  1. Open a new message, then Message > Signature > Signatures.
  2. Choose the account in the E-mail account list.
  3. Under Choose default signature, set the Replies/forwards list as well as New messages. Either one left at (none) means no signature for that kind of message.
  4. Select OK.

A message that is already open does not receive a new default. Use Message > Signature to insert it by hand.

Outlook for Mac

Set the default signature for each account separately: Outlook > Settings > Mail > Signatures, then Set default signature. A Microsoft Q&A moderator advises that when the signature lands in the wrong place in a reply, you enable When replying or forwarding, use the format of the original message. If a reply drops the logo, the reply is probably plain text. See Outlook signature image disappears in plain text replies.

Apple Mail on Mac

  1. Open Mail > Settings > Signatures.
  2. Check that your signature is under your account in the left column, not only under All Signatures. Drag it onto the account if needed.
  3. Use Place signature above quoted text to control where it appears in replies and forwards.

Zoho Mail

Zoho links a signature to a From address and has a separate option for replies. Open Settings > Signatures, check the signature is associated with the address you send from, and tick Add signature to all my email replies. See the Zoho Mail signature guide.

A different signature for replies

If you want a shorter signature on replies, set a short version as the reply default and keep the full one for new messages. The different signature for replies guide explains how in Gmail and Outlook.

How to test it

Send a message to yourself, then reply to your own message and forward it. Check each of the three, on your computer and your phone. Mobile apps keep their own signature, so a signature that appears on your computer can still be missing on your phone.

FAQ

Why does my email signature not show on replies? The reply default is unset. Gmail and Outlook keep separate defaults for new messages and for replies and forwards, and either can be left empty.

Why is my Gmail signature below the quoted text? It is the default. Tick Insert this signature before quoted text in replies in Settings > See all settings > General.

Why does my signature image vanish in Outlook replies? A reply in plain text cannot hold an image. Switch the reply to HTML and insert the signature again.

Why is there no signature in Zoho Mail replies? Turn on Add signature to all my email replies in the signature settings.

How Sendoff handles this

Sendoff builds the signature and copies it for you. The reply setting lives in your email app, so the steps above apply however the signature was made. The Gmail integration and Outlook integration pages cover setting one up for a whole team.

Sources

Make yours now

Every Sendoff template is built to the rules in these guides. Free, no account needed.

Make my signature