Outlook signature “linked image cannot be displayed”: fix

If your Outlook signature logo shows "The linked image cannot be displayed" after you send, you are probably hitting a known bug in classic Outlook for Windows. Microsoft says it began with the May 12, 2026 updates and that newer builds include a fix. Update Outlook, check the sent message, then decide which messages to resend.

What does the error look like?

The image looks fine while you write the message. After you send it, the recipient sees a broken picture, and so does your Sent Items folder. The error text is:

The linked image cannot be displayed. The file may have been moved, renamed, or deleted. Verify that the link points to the correct file and location.

Microsoft says the image may show a red X, but not in every case.

How do I check that this is the bug?

Microsoft's known-issue page gives this check for classic Outlook:

1. Open the email in classic Outlook.
2. On the ribbon, select Move > Actions > Other Actions > View Source.
3. Search the email for cid inside the src attribute of a v:imagedata tag. Microsoft's example is <v:imagedata src=cid:image001.png@01DCE6B1.CF669A40 o:title="" />.

If that tag is there and the image does not render, Microsoft says you have this issue. If there is no cid reference, the cause is something else. Work through why an Outlook signature does not show images.

How do I update Outlook to a fixed build?

Microsoft lists the fixed builds on its known-issue page. For channels that did not have the fix yet, Microsoft expected it with the June 9 public updates. To update:

1. Open Outlook and go to File > Account. In classic Outlook, Microsoft's update page calls this Office Account.
2. Under Product Information, choose Update Options > Update Now. If you do not see Update Now, click Enable Updates first.
3. Wait for the "You're up to date!" or "Updates were installed" message.
4. Note your version and build, then compare them with the list on the known-issue page. The list includes Version 2606 Build 20131.20000, Version 2605 Build 20026.20118, and Version 2604 Build 19929.20202. On Current Channel, the fix is in build 20026.20140.

What should I do with signature images after the update?

Test it before you rely on the signature:

1. Send a test message to yourself and to a second account, such as Gmail on the web.
2. Open the copy in Sent Items and confirm the logo shows.
3. Ask the second account to confirm the logo shows on their side.

Microsoft says the original message should be fine once the fix is released. Replies or forwards to affected messages may permanently lack the image, because the image was not included when they were made. Resend any message that matters, and tell the recipient that a reply or forward may not show the logo.

What do forums get wrong?

Rebuilding the signature does not fix this bug. On 4 June 2026, a user in a Microsoft Q&A thread rebuilt the signature, inserted the images directly, and pasted a signature from an email. None of that worked. The fix Microsoft describes is the update.

The Top and Bottom wrap setting may matter, but that is a community suggestion, not Microsoft's. One Independent Advisor reply says Microsoft often ties this bug to images set to Top and Bottom text wrapping, and suggests In Line with Text. The known-issue page does not say this. If the error returns after the update, try it on a copy of your signature first.

The known-issue page covers classic Outlook for Windows only. It does not name Outlook on the web or the new Outlook. If you see the same error in one of those, this guide does not confirm the cause.

How Sendoff handles this

Sendoff builds each signature as table-based HTML. Uploaded logos and photos are resized, saved as PNG files, and stored at public web addresses, and the signature points to those addresses. The image is a link, not a picture pasted into Outlook's editor. Run the View Source check on a Sendoff signature anyway, because Outlook decides how it stores each image in the message you send.

Build the layout in the free signature generator, or read the Outlook setup guide.

Sources

• Microsoft Support, "Images are not displayed in emails, newsletters, or signatures in classic Outlook" (last updated 5 June 2026): https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/support/known-issues/images-are-not-displayed-in-emails-newsletters-or-signatures-in-classic-outlook
• Microsoft Support, "How to update Microsoft 365 or Office for Windows": https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/lifecycle/officeinstall/how-to-update-microsoft-365-or-office-for-windows
• Microsoft Q&A, "outlook email signature not showing images" (posted 4 June 2026, two answers): https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/5911303/outlook-email-signature-not-showing-images