How to add an email signature in Gmail
In Gmail on the web, open Settings, choose See all settings, and on the General tab scroll to Signature. Choose Create new, name it, paste your signature into the box, set it as the default for new emails and replies, then choose Save Changes at the bottom of the page.
Checked against Gmail’s help pages on September 24, 2026.
Before you start
Copy your signature first
Make it in esigna’s free Editor and choose Copy signature (on a template page, Copy HTML). That puts the finished design on your clipboard as formatted text, so every step in these guides is a normal paste — no code to handle.
Gmail on the web
Set it up once on a computer. Gmail keeps the signature with your account, so every browser you sign in on uses it.
- Open Gmail in a browser on your computer.
- Choose Settings (the gear at the top right), then See all settings.
- On the General tab, scroll down to Signature and choose Create new.
- Name the signature and choose Create.
- Click into the empty box and paste (⌘V on a Mac, Ctrl+V on Windows).
- Below the box, set it as the default for new emails and for replies.
- Scroll to the bottom of the page and choose Save Changes.
Paste normally. “Paste as plain text” (⌘⇧V or Ctrl+Shift+V) pastes the signature's code instead of its design.
Changing it later
Edit the signature in esigna, not in Gmail's box: the design stays intact, and your other clients get the same update.
- Make the change in esigna and choose Copy signature again.
- In Gmail, open Settings, then See all settings, and select the signature under Signature.
- Click into the box, select everything in it (⌘A or Ctrl+A) and paste the new version.
- Choose Save Changes at the bottom of the page.
The Gmail app on Android and iPhone
The app has its own Mobile signature. When one is set, it replaces your computer signature on mail sent from the app, and Google describes it as text you type — so leaving it empty is how the app keeps your design.
- Leave the app's Mobile signature empty. Google says that when you don't create one, messages from the app use the signature you made on your computer.
- To check on Android: open the menu, choose Settings, pick your account and look at Mobile signature.
- To check on iPhone or iPad: open the menu, choose Settings, and under Compose and Reply tap Signature settings. If Mobile Signature is on, the app sends that text instead.
Troubleshooting
If something looks wrong
My photo or logo doesn't show
Check that you pasted the copied signature rather than retyping it: esigna hosts your photo and logo at public web addresses, and the copy carries them. Gmail shows images by default, but a reader who turned on “Ask before displaying external images”, or a message Gmail treats as suspicious, shows them only after the reader allows it.
I see code, or plain text, instead of my design
Code in the signature box means it was pasted as plain text: delete it and paste again with a normal paste (⌘V or Ctrl+V). If it looks right in Settings but plain in your emails, the compose window is in Plain text mode — in the compose window, choose More options and turn off Plain text mode.
Gmail says my signature is too long
Gmail allows up to 10,000 characters, and images count toward that. esigna's templates come out at roughly 4,000 to 8,000 characters, so a long one usually has extra lines or links added. Remove what you can spare in esigna, copy it again and paste.
My signature doesn't appear when I reply
It isn't set as the default for replies. In Settings, choose See all settings, set it as the default for replies under Signature, then choose Save Changes.
I send from more than one address
Each address can have its own signature. Under Signature, pick the address from the drop-down above the signature box, then set its defaults.
FAQ
Gmail signature questions
Can I use an HTML signature in Gmail?
Yes, by pasting it. Gmail's signature box has no code view, so a copied, formatted signature is how HTML gets in — which is what esigna's Copy signature puts on your clipboard.
Does my Gmail signature work on my phone?
Mail you send from Gmail in a browser uses it on any device. The Gmail app uses it too, unless you've set a separate Mobile signature in the app — leave that empty.
Can I have more than one Gmail signature?
Yes. Create as many as you like, then choose one as the default for new emails and one for replies. You can have one for each address you send from, too.
Is there a size limit for Gmail signatures?
Yes: 10,000 characters, with images counting toward it. A signature from esigna is typically 4,000 to 8,000.
Sources
Every step above was checked against Gmail’s own help pages on September 24, 2026. Menus move; if yours differs, these are the pages to trust.