How to change or add a new HTML signature in Gmail

Change or add your HTML email signature in Gmail in no time! Use our web extension or follow our step-by-step guides to have your email signature installed in just a few minutes.
It's never been easier to change or add a new email signature for Gmail. Check out our Gmail email signature templates and easy email signature software, that makes creating, adding and changing email signatures for Gmail a breeze.
Before you start
Before you start:
Which installation option should I choose?
Email Signature Rescue Browser Extension
Choose this option if:
- You want to add a signature to Gmail that is larger than the allowed character limit.
- You'd like to make edits to your signatures through your Email Signature Rescue Dashboard and have them automatically update in all User's installed Gmail signatures
- You don't need the signature to sync to the Gmail app on iOS.
Basic Install - Copy & Paste into Gmail's Settings
Choose this option if:
- You want to add a signature to Gmail that is under the characater limit.
- You don't need to update your signature very often.
- You want your signature to sync with the Gmail App on iOS.
Install: Browser Extension
Install our Free Browser Extension
To install our web extension, simply select your web browser below and follow the prompts.
Installing your email signature in the browser extension
1Step One
Copy your provided email signature key.
NOTE: If you don't have an email signature key, you can access it by logging into your Email Signature Rescue account and clicking the Key button next to your signature.
If you don't have an account, you should have had your email signature key emailed to you by your account administrator. Copy the key from your email instead.
2Step Two
Open your Email Signature Rescue web extension by clicking the icon on your web browser's toolbar.
Once the web extension is open, select Gmail from the dropdown list.
3Step Three
Paste your copied Signature Key into the box to the right and click Save Key.
4Step Four
Click the Preview Signature button to ensure that your email signature is installed correctly.
5Step Five
Now that your signature has been installed, log in to your Gmail account and press the compose button. You will see your email signature is automatically inserted into your email.
All Finished!
That's it! Try your email signature now by composing an email in Gmail and emailing it to yourself, a friend or colleague.
Install: Basic Guide (Copy & Paste)
This is our basic guide for installing a HTML email signature in Gmail. These instructions should be followed if:
- you don't want to use our web extension
- you need your signature to work within the Gmail App on mobile
- your signature meets Gmail's character restriction limit
NOTE: This guide will only work for you if your signature meets Gmail's character restriction limit. If it does not, you will need to either reduce the information in your signature, or use our free web extension.
Watch the Video Guide
Rather watch how to install your email signature? Check out the video below for full step-by-step instructions on how to install your email signature in Gmail.
1Step One
Download or save your HTML email signature file to your computer, then open it in your web browser.
2Step Two
Once the Email Signature is open in your web browser, press Ctrl + A (⌘ + A for Mac) to highlight the signature, then press Ctrl + C (⌘ + C for Mac) to copy the signature.
Important: Do not use your mouse to select the area, only use Ctrl + A (or ⌘ + A) as you may miss out on grabbing some of the code.
3Step Three
Login to your Gmail account and navigate to the Cog Icon at the top right of your screen, then select Settings from the list.
4div> Step Four
Make sure you're in the General Tab, then scroll down to 'Signature'. Click inside the Text Box, and paste your email signature (Ctrl + V or ⌘ + V for Mac).
5Step Five
Scroll to the bottom of the page, click Save Changes.
Congratulations! Your email signature is now installed and ready to use!
Troubleshooting: FAQ
If you have tried our Instructions, Video Instructions or Browser Extension instructions for installing your email signature Gmail and you run into any issues, please read through this troubleshooting guide before contacting Support for further help.
I get an error saying my email signature is too long.
Gmail has a character limit on email signatures. If your email signature is over 10,000 characters, it won't save if you directly paste it into Gmail's signature settings. You will need to follow the instructions for using our free browser extension instead. See "Before You Start" section.
If I use the browser extension, will my email signature work with the Gmail iPhone/iPad app?
No. The way the browser extension works is that it injects the HTML from your email signature directly into the browser page, it does not save it to Gmail's settings. In order for your email signature to work in both the desktop and iPhone/iPad app versions of Gmail, you will need to reduce your email signature to under 10,000 characters and install it directly into Gmail's signature settings.
If you're a member of Email Signature Rescue, there is a "Count Characters" button located in the red side menu, while editing your signature. Use this button while creating your signature to count the characters. If you have any issues creating an email signature that will fit into Gmail's settings, please contact Support through your member account and we can assist you.
My email signature doesn't look right when I paste it
More than likely, you have used your mouse to highlight the html email signature file in the browser. Don't use your mouse, only use Ctrl + A (hold the Ctrl button and press A at the same time) to select all of your email signature. If you use your mouse, you may miss out on some of the vital code needed to make your signature work correctly.
I am composing an email and I can't click on any links or social media icons
In compose mode, most email programs won't allow you to use the links in your email signature. Check to see if your email signature has been installed correctly by sending a test email to yourself instead. The links and social media icons should work when you receive the email.
My email signature is not showing images or the layout changes when I paste it in.
Signature not showing images or layout? You may have your Gmail set to Plain Text. Follow this article here.
Still experiencing issues?
Find more answers to Gmail signature installation questions here.
If you're a member of Email Signature Rescue, you can submit a support ticket to our friendly support team through your member account by pressing the red help button. If you're not a member and need help creating or installing your HTML email signature, consider joining Email Signature Rescue for assistance.
Troubleshooting: Email signature is too long message - Character limit restriction
When you paste your email signature into Gmail you might get an error message telling you that your email signature is too long. Gmail has a character limit on the size of the email signature you add. It's around 10,000 characters, but often it's not exact.
If you're an Email Signature Rescue member
If you're an Email Signature Rescue member and you're getting a "too long" error message, login to your Email Signature Rescue account, edit the email signature you are trying to install into Gmail and click "Count Characters" on the right hand side (red menu).
If your email signature is more than 10,000 characters, you will either need to download our free browser extension to install your email signature into Gmail or reduce the size of your Gmail signature.
Important: The browser extension works by inserting the HTML code directly into your Gmail email message compose window when you are typing a new message. Therefore, if you're using the Gmail App on iOS and want to use your email signature there too, you will need to install your signature directly into Gmail and not the Browser Extension. Please contact support through your member account, if you need help creating an email signature that fits into Gmail's settings.
If you're not an Email Signature Rescue member
If you're not an Email Signature Rescue member, either open your HTML file in Notepad or TextEdit and press Ctrl A (on PC) or Command A (on Mac) to highlight all of the code. Don't have Notepad or TextEdit? Open your email signature HTML file in your browser, right click on the browser window and press View Source. Select all of the code using either Ctrl A (on PC) or Command A (on Mac). Then copy it using Ctrl C or Command C and paste it into the counter box using this free tool. Be sure to count all of the characters in the HTML code. The Gmail character restrictions apply to all characters in the HTML code, not just the characters displayed in your email signature.
If your email signature is more than 10,000 characters, you will either need to download our free browser extension to install your email signature into Gmail or reduce the size of your Gmail signature.
Important: You cannot use the browser extension if you want to use your HTML email signature in the Gmail App on iOS too. To use your HTML email signature on both your Webmail and on the Gmail App on iOS, you will need to reduce the size of your signature so you can paste it directly into Gmail's signature settings.
Troubleshooting: Where do I find my email signature HTML file or key?
Finding your email signature HTML file
- If you are an Email Signature Rescue member and are logged into your account, you can download your HTML file directly from your Dashboard, by clicking on the Download button.
- If you have been emailed your HTML file, go to the email and open the file in Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox.
- If you have your HTML file saved on your computer hard drive, navigate to where you have saved the HTML file and open with Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox.
Finding your email signature key
- If you are an Email Signature Rescue member and are logged into your account, you can get your key directly from your Dashboard, by clicking on the Key button.
- If you don't have access to your account, you will need to ask your account admin to email your key to you.
Troubleshooting: I don't have an email signature HTML file or key
If you don't have an email signature HTML file, consider joining Email Signature Rescue now and get creating! We offer over 20+ professionally designed and tested email signature templates, tools and features to create and manage your email signatures online and a whole lot more.