Step-by-step instructions for admins deploying organization-wide signatures and individuals setting up their own. Works with Microsoft 365 Business, Enterprise, and Education plans.
Go to admin.microsoft.com > Admin centers > Exchange. Navigate to Mail flow > Rules.
Click '+ Add a rule' > 'Apply disclaimers'. Name your rule (e.g., 'Company Signature').
Apply to 'All messages sent outside the organization' or customize. Under 'Do the following', select 'Append the disclaimer'.
Enter your HTML signature. Use Exchange variables like %%DisplayName%%, %%Title%%, %%PhoneNumber%% for personalization. Note: Transport rules have limited HTML support compared to client-side signatures.
Exchange transport rules are rigid and limited in formatting. BrandFooter lets you design a template once and share a claim link — each team member generates their own personalized, pixel-perfect signature. No Exchange admin needed.
Go to outlook.office.com, click the gear icon, then 'View all Outlook settings'.
Go to Mail > Compose and reply. Find the 'Email signature' section.
Click '+ New signature', name it, then paste your BrandFooter HTML signature. The OWA editor supports rich HTML paste.
Choose your signature as the default for new messages and replies. Click Save.
In Outlook, go to File > Options > Mail > Signatures.
Click 'New', name your signature, then paste your BrandFooter HTML signature into the editor.
Choose your signature for new messages and replies/forwards. Click OK.
Get the best results when setting up your email signature.
Exchange transport rules only support basic HTML and can't render complex layouts reliably. They also append signatures to the bottom of entire threads, not just the latest reply. BrandFooter signatures are client-side and avoid these issues.
Instead of managing transport rules and Exchange variables, share a BrandFooter claim link with your team. Each person fills in their own details and gets a pixel-perfect, pre-branded signature.
A signature set in OWA won't appear in Outlook desktop, and vice versa. Instruct your team to set their signature in each app they use.
When each person creates their own signature, consistency breaks down fast. BrandFooter's template system ensures everyone uses the same colors, fonts, and layout.
Three steps, under 60 seconds, no technical knowledge needed.
Browse our collection of professional email signature templates. Pick the layout that fits your style.
Add your name, job title, contact info, and brand colors. See a live preview as you type.
Click "Copy HTML" and paste into Microsoft 365's signature settings. Done in seconds.
Common questions about Microsoft 365 email signatures.
Admins can use Exchange transport rules (mail flow rules) to append signatures to outbound emails. However, these have limited HTML support. BrandFooter offers a simpler approach: design a template, share a link, and each team member generates their own on-brand signature.
Yes, both Outlook Web App (OWA) and Outlook desktop support HTML signatures with table layouts and inline styles. Exchange transport rules also support HTML but with more limited formatting options.
Outlook desktop uses the Word rendering engine, which handles HTML differently than the web-based editor in OWA. Test your signature in both. BrandFooter's templates are tested across all Outlook versions.
Exchange transport rules support variables like %%DisplayName%%, %%Title%%, and %%PhoneNumber%%. These pull from Active Directory. However, not all fields are always populated, leading to blank spaces.
Yes, BrandFooter lets you manage team signatures without any Exchange or admin access. Share a claim link with your team — each person generates their own signature client-side.
Yes, Exchange transport rules let you create separate rules for internal vs external messages. In OWA and Outlook desktop, you'd need to manually switch signatures.
OWA allows signatures up to 8,192 characters. Outlook desktop doesn't enforce a strict limit, but keep signatures under 600px wide and images under 200KB for best results.
Yes, use externally hosted images with HTTPS URLs. Avoid embedding base64 images as they increase email size and may be blocked by recipients' email clients.
Skip the Exchange transport rules. Design a template, share a team link, and let each person generate their own on-brand signature. One-time payment, no per-seat fees.
Create Your Signature