May 2026 · 4 min read
Email Signature Best Practices: What to Include (and What to Skip)
Most email signatures are either too empty or too cluttered. Here's the exact formula that works.
The 4-line rule
A professional email signature should fit in 4 lines or fewer. If a recipient has to scroll past your signature to read a reply chain, it's too long.
Your Name
Job Title, Company Name
email@company.com · +1 (555) 000-0000
company.com
That's it. Clean, professional, immediately readable.
What to include
Full name
Obvious — but don't use a nickname. If your email says 'Mike' and your signature says 'Michael', pick one.
Job title + company
Establishes credibility instantly. People forward email threads — make sure context travels with yours.
Email address
Even though they're already emailing you. Makes it easy to copy and share separately.
Phone (if you want calls)
Leave it out if you don't want to be called. Including it is an implicit invitation.
One primary link
Your website, portfolio, or booking page. Not multiple links — one.
What to skip
Motivational quotes
They make your signature longer and add nothing professional. Recipients notice.
Multiple logos
One logo maximum. If you have to explain your brand hierarchy in an email footer, something's wrong.
Animated GIFs or banners
Most email clients either block them or render them as broken images.
Social icons for every platform
Pick the 1–2 that matter for your work. A sales rep doesn't need a Pinterest link.
Legal disclaimers (unless required)
Most generic 'this email is confidential' notices have no legal force. Don't add noise without a reason.
Your email address in the From field *and* the signature
It's already in the header. One occurrence is enough.
Formatting rules
Gmail vs Outlook differences
Gmail and Outlook render HTML differently. Here's what to watch:
| Feature | Gmail | Outlook |
|---|---|---|
| CSS support | Inline styles only | Inline styles + some embedded CSS |
| Images | Needs public URL | Can embed or link |
| Max-width | Ignored — use table layout | Respected |
| Custom fonts | Not supported | Not supported |
| Tables | Fully supported | Fully supported |
Signly templates use table-based layout with inline styles — the only approach that renders consistently across both clients.
Apply these best practices in 30 seconds
Signly templates are pre-optimised for Gmail and Outlook. Free to start.
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