Gmail signature hidden behind three dots: how to show it

Gmail collapses quoted text in long threads and marks the collapsed part with three dots. If your signature sits below that quoted text, it is hidden there too. Open the message, scroll to the bottom and click Show trimmed content. The signature begins after two dashes.

Why is my Gmail signature hidden behind the three dots?

When you reply, Gmail quotes the earlier messages in the thread below your reply. In a long thread, Gmail collapses that quoted text so the page stays readable. The three dots are the control that opens it.

Google's help page on signatures says that if you cannot find your signature in a message, it "might be below the body of the message", and that signatures are "separated from the message body by two dashes". So a signature placed after the quoted text ends up inside the collapsed section. Nothing is missing. It is just not visible until someone expands the thread.

How do I show the hidden signature?

1. Open the message in Gmail.
2. Scroll to the bottom of the message, below the last line you can read.
3. Click Show trimmed content. The three dots open the quoted text.
4. Look for the two dashes (--). The signature starts directly after them.

If you need to check your own signature, send a test reply to an address you own. Then open it there and expand the thread, so you see what the recipient sees.

Why do recipients miss my phone number?

Recipients see the signature only after they expand the thread. A phone number or booking link that matters should not live only in the signature. Put it in the first lines of your reply as text, or keep a short version of it in the reply signature. Text in the body is readable even when the thread is collapsed.

What should my reply signature contain?

Keep it short. Your name, role and one phone number is enough. Leave out banners, certifications and long disclaimers, because those add length and rarely help in a reply.

To set the reply signature in Gmail, click the gear icon, choose See all settings, open the General tab, and scroll to Signature. Under Signature defaults, choose the short signature for replies and forwards, or No signature if you do not want one in replies. Then click Save Changes.

Troubleshooting

• There is no "Show trimmed content" link. The message has no quoted text, so there is nothing to expand. Scroll to the bottom and look for the signature directly.
• The signature is in the reply but the recipient still cannot see it. Ask them to expand the thread, and keep the key details in the body text too.
• Replies have no signature at all. Check Signature defaults in the same settings section. The reply default may be set to No signature.
• The signature is huge in long threads. The signature is not the problem. A long reply signature with a banner adds weight to every reply. Shorten it first, then check the logo. The logo guide covers the image side.

How Sendoff handles this

Sendoff builds the signature and gives you a formatted copy for Gmail. It does not decide where Gmail places the signature in a reply, and it does not create a separate reply version. To make one, copy a shorter version of your signature into the replies default, following the Gmail setup steps.

Sources

• Google Help, Create a Gmail signature: https://support.google.com/mail/answer/8395
• Google Help, Troubleshoot issues with Gmail signatures (signature hidden by three dots in sent messages): https://support.google.com/mail/answer/11468381