Deprecated CodeTwo Signatures Add-in for Outlook (COM Add-in)

This article is about the deprecated COM Add-in that is no longer supported and will be retired by October 2025. We recommend switching to our new Web Add-in to enjoy all the features of the COM Add-in & much more. Learn more about the Web Add-in and see how to switch.

The deprecated CodeTwo Signatures Add-in for Outlook (COM Add-in) lets end users insert CodeTwo signatures as they type an email in Outlook for Windows – either automatically (if a signature is set as default) or manually from the Outlook ribbon. With the add-in's pane, end users can also force-refresh updated signatures and preview other CodeTwo signatures made available to them by organization's administrator(s). Use the links to learn more.

For administrators:

• Web Add-in vs. COM Add-in
• System requirements
• Deploying the deprecated COM Add-in (installation files)
• Updating the COM add-in
• Uninstalling the COM add-in

For end users:

• Guidelines for new users

• Using the deprecated COM Add-in

Frequently asked questions (FAQ):

• The deprecated COM Add-in FAQ

The modern Web Add-in vs. the deprecated COM Add-in

While the COM Add-in still remains fully functional, we strongly recommend that you go with our modern Web Add-in to enjoy full support, greater functionality and security plus new features.

If you look for a handy comparison to help you decide which add-in to deploy, see the table below and learn about the advantages of each solution: 

¹ CodeTwo Outlook signatures added by the COM Add-in can be accessed by and used with other accounts configured in the same Outlook app where the add-in is installed.

² Changes made in the signature management app are instantly applied to signatures in Outlook.

If you've decided to continue with the deprecated COM Add-in, read on to get all the instructions and information.

System requirements

Deploying the deprecated COM Add-in

CodeTwo Signatures Add-in for Outlook (COM Add-in) is now deprecated and no longer supported. It will be retired by October 2025. We recommend switching to our new Web Add-in to enjoy all the features of the COM Add-in & much more. Learn more about the Web Add-in and see how to switch.

There are three different methods of deploying the deprecated CodeTwo Signatures Add-in for Outlook (COM Add-in). Choose the one that best fits your preferences and scenario:

• Centralized deployment via GPO (admin) (MSI installation file)
• Centralized deployment via Intune (admin) (MSI installation file)
• Individual deployment (end user) (EXE installation file)

Centralized deployment of the deprecated COM Add-in

Follow the steps in this section to automatically install the deprecated COM Add-in for users in your organization using GPO. You can deploy the add-in for all users, selected security groups, OUs, or Entra ID (Azure AD) groups. Use the links below for instructions:

• Deploy the add-in to the whole organization
• Deploy the add-in to a security group
• Deploy the add-in to an Organizational Unit (OU)

Deploy COM Add-in to the whole organization

1. Download the deprecated CodeTwo Signatures Add-in for Outlook (COM Add-in) by clicking this link. Save the MSI installation file to a shared network location.

2. On your Windows Server, press Win + R to launch the Run console, type gpmc.msc and click OK (Fig. 1.) to open the Group Policy Management Editor.

Fig. 1. Using the Run console to launch the Group Policy Management Editor.

3. Go to Forest > Domains, right-click your domain and choose Create a GPO in this domain, and Link it here... (Fig. 2.).

Fig. 2. Create a new GPO in your domain.

4. Name your new GPO, set Source Starter GPO as none (Fig. 3.).

Fig. 3. Name the new GPO.

5. Right-click the newly created GPO and choose Edit... from the shortcut menu (Fig. 4.).

Fig. 4. Edit the new GPO.

6. Go to User Configuration > Policies > Software Settings, right-click Software installation and choose New > Package from the shortcut menu (Fig. 5.).

Fig. 5. Create a new software deployment package.

7. Select the MSI file you saved in step 1 from the network share (Fig. 6.).

Fig. 6. Select the CodeTwo Signatures Add-in for Outlook.

8. In the new window, select Assigned and click OK (Fig. 7.).

Fig. 7. Choose the deployment method.

9. Double-click the newly created package (Fig. 8.).

Fig. 8. Double-click the deployment package.

10. On the Deployment tab, select Install this application at logon, then select Basic and click OK (Fig. 9.). You can close the Group Policy Management Editor afterwards.

Fig. 9. Set up add-in deployment properties.

11. The next time a user in your organization restarts their machine and signs in, CodeTwo Signatures Add-in for Outlook should be installed automatically at startup (Fig. 10.). The user doesn’t need to have local admin rights to install the software correctly.

Fig. 10. CodeTwo Signatures Add-in for Outlook is being installed at system startup.

12. (Optional) If the add-in is not installed, after the restart, it might be that the GPO settings have not propagated yet. You can use the gpupdate /force command in the Run (Windows +R) console on the client’s machine to force-apply the GPO settings. After the user signs out and signs in, the add-in should be installed immediately.
13. After installation, the add-in is available in Outlook and opens in the right pane. (Fig. 11.). Users can change its width to resize it. Using a dedicated button on the ribbon hides/shows the add-in pane.

Fig. 11. This is how CodeTwo signatures add-in appears in Outlook right after installation.

14. To have CodeTwo signatures automatically added to Outlook, each user needs to click Sign in in the add-in pane. When a Microsoft sign-in screen appears, a user needs to sign in using their Microsoft 365 work account credentials and accept the permissions to synchronize the add-in with Outlook and get signatures.
15. When a user is signed in, the add-in pane shows signatures that are available for them. Depending on your organization's settings, these signatures can be added automatically (when users compose a new message or reply to/forward a message) or users can add them on their own in compose mode in Outlook, just as they would normally add Outlook signatures: they need to go to the Message tab, click Signature on the ribbon and choose any signature that is available. Learn how to use the add-in.

Deploy COM Add-in to a security group

1. Follow steps 1-4 from section Deploy the add-in to the whole organization.
2. Select the newly created GPO. In the Security Filtering section, click Add (Fig. 12.) and select the security group or (groups) to which you want to deploy the add-in.

Fig. 12. Filtering GPO deployment for a security group.

3. On the Delegation tab, make sure the security group(s) you have chosen in the previous step and the Authenticated Users group are all listed (Fig. 13.). Use the Add button if any group is missing. Next, click Advanced to manage group permissions.

Fig. 13. GPO delegation tab.

4. For the GPO to work correctly, you need to assign Read permissions to the Authenticated Users group (Fig. 14., left), and assign the Read and Apply group policy permissions (Fig. 14., right) to the security group(s) you selected for the add-in deployment.

Fig. 14. Delegation rights for security groups.

5. Follow steps 5-15 from section Deploy the add-in to the whole organization, to deploy the add-in for the chosen security group(s).

Deploy COM Add-in to an Organizational Unit (OU)

It is also possible to deploy CodeTwo Signatures Add-in for Outlook to a chosen OU. To do that, follow all the steps from section Deploy the add-in to the whole organization but in step 3, instead of right-clicking your domain, right-click the OU for which you want to have the add-in installed (Fig. 15.).

Fig. 15. Create a GPO for an Organizational Unit.

Individual deployment of the deprecated COM Add-in

If you've already configured CodeTwo Email Signatures 365 to add email signatures in Outlook, you can ask your users to complete the last stage of the deployment by themselves – install CodeTwo Signatures Add-in for Outlook (deprecated COM Add-in) by following the instructions below:

1. Download CodeTwo Signatures Add-in for Outlook by using this link.
2. Launch the downloaded setup file and click Install (Fig. 16.). The add-in is a ClickOnce application and doesn’t require local admin rights to be installed.

Fig. 16. Installation of the Signatures Add-in for Outlook.

3. Click OK after the installation is finished.

   Info

   The add-in is installed for the current user profile only. If a machine is shared between users, each of them will need to install the add-in separately.

4. Launch your Outlook to see the new add-in. If Outlook was already open during the installation, you need to restart it to apply the changes.
5. The add-in is now available in your Outlook and opens in the right pane. (Fig. 17.). You can change its width to resize it. Use a dedicated button on the ribbon to hide/show the add-in pane.

Fig. 17. This is how CodeTwo signatures add-in appears in Outlook right after installation.

6. In the add-in pane, click Sign in. A Microsoft sign-in screen appears. Sign in using your Microsoft 365 work account credentials and accept the permissions to synchronize the add-in with your Outlook and get automatic signatures.
7. When you're signed in, the add-in pane shows signatures that are available for you. Depending on your organization's settings, these signatures can be added automatically (when you compose a new message or reply to/forward a message) or you can add them yourself in compose mode in Outlook, just as you normally add Outlook signatures: go to the Message tab, click Signature on the ribbon and choose any signature that is available to you. Learn more about the add-in

   Updating and uninstalling the add-in deployed individually (by an end user)

   When a new version becomes available, the add-in will always update automatically on Outlook start-up – just follow the simple on-screen instructions.

   To uninstall the add-in, complete the steps you can find here.

Updating the deprecated COM Add-in

When the CodeTwo Signatures Add-in for Outlook is installed via GPO, the administrator can control when to update it for users in the organization.

To update the CodeTwo add-in distributed via GPO to the most recent version, follow the steps below:

1. Download the most recent MSI installation file from here. Save it to a shared network location.
2. On your Windows Server, open the Group Policy Management Editor, find the GPO you have used to deploy CodeTwo Signatures Add-in for Outlook, and follow steps 2 and 5 from Deploy the add-in to the whole organization to start editing it.
3. Go to User Configuration > Policies > Software Settings and you should see the software package you previously deployed. Right-click below it and click New > Package (Fig. 18.).

Fig. 18. Deploying a new software installation package.

4. Choose the .msi file you just downloaded (in step 1) and click Open (Fig. 19.).

Fig. 19. Opening the add-in installation file.

5. In the new window, choose Advanced as the deployment method (Fig. 20.).

Fig. 20. Choosing the Advanced deployment method.

6. Deployment settings’ window opens automatically. On the Deployment tab (Fig. 21.) choose the Assigned deployment type, highlight the Install this application at logon checkbox and select Basic user interface options.

Fig. 21. Setting the deployment options.

7. Go to the Upgrades tab (Fig. 22.), click Add and choose the software package you have deployed previously. The new package will upgrade the previously deployed add-in to the newest version. Click OK in both windows and close the Group Policy Management Editor.

Fig. 22. Adding the Upgrade Package.

8. The next time the users defined in your GPO’s scope log on to their machines, the add-in should be updated automatically. You can use the gpupdate /force command in the Run (Windows +R) console on each user’s machine to force the GPO settings to apply immediately. After the user logs off their Windows account and logs on again, the add-in will be updated automatically to the new version.

Uninstalling the deprecated COM Add-in

First, sign in to app.codetwo.com, unpublish all your Outlook (client-side) signature rules and save the changes. This will clear all CodeTwo signatures on the computers of users who have been using the deprecated CodeTwo Signatures Add-in for Outlook (COM Add-in).

Then, you need to uninstall the add-in. If the add-in was installed manually, you need to instruct your users to uninstall it from their computers the same way as you uninstall other CodeTwo desktop components.

If you deployed the add-in with Microsoft Intune, go to this article to learn how to uninstall it for all users or group(s) of users in your organization.

If you installed the CodeTwo Signatures Add-in for Outlook for multiple users with GPO, you can uninstall it from all machines at once by following these steps:

1. Press Win + R to launch the Run console, type gpmc.msc and click OK (Fig. 23.) to open the Group Policy Management Editor.

Fig. 23. Accessing the Group Policy Management Editor.

2. Find the GPO you used to deploy the CodeTwo Signatures Add-in for Outlook and edit it (Fig. 24.).

Fig. 24. Editing the GPO used to install the add-in.

3. In the GPO settings, go to User Configuration > Policies > Software Settings > Software installation, right-click the software package you used to deploy the add-in and click All Tasks > Remove (Fig. 25.).

Fig. 25. Removing the add-in’s software package.

4. Choose the option to Immediately uninstall the software from users and computers (Fig. 26.) and click OK to confirm.

Fig. 26. Choosing the option to uninstall software package immediately.

5. The add-in should be uninstalled from users’ profiles on the next logon. To speed it up, users can use Command Prompt or PowerShell to force the Group Policy update with the gpupdate /force command (Fig. 27.) The console can log off the user automatically, so that the logon script can uninstall the add-in right away.

Fig. 27. Forcing a Group Policy update.

Guidelines for new users

This section is for you if your organization's IT administrator has installed the deprecated CodeTwo Signatures Add-in for Outlook (COM Add-in) in your Outlook for Windows. Its purpose is to explain what CodeTwo Email Signatures 365 and the COM Add-in are and what they do.

If you are an administrator, go to this section. 

CodeTwo Email Signatures 365 is a software solution that allows for central management of email signatures, disclaimers, branding and automatic replies in Microsoft 365 (Office 365) organizations. Signatures are added automatically (on Microsoft Azure servers) once a message is sent or directly in Outlook as you type an email (the way signatures are added in your organization depends on which signature mode has been set by your administrator). All email clients and devices are supported.

The deprecated CodeTwo Signatures Add-in for Outlook (COM Add-in) is one of the components of CodeTwo Email Signatures 365. It's an add-in for Outlook for Windows (Fig. 28.) that lets you sync CodeTwo signatures (prepared for you by organization administrator(s)) to add them while composing an email. For more details on using the add-in, go to the next section.

Fig. 28. The deprecated COM Add-in's icon and pane in Outlook for Windows.

Using the deprecated COM Add-in

To have access to Outlook (client-side) signatures, you need to sign in to the deprecated COM Add-in with your Microsoft 365 account credentials. CodeTwo signatures added by the add-in are available just like any other Outlook signatures. If they are set as default by your organization's admin, they are added automatically when you compose a new message or when you forward/reply to an email (Fig. 29.). 

Fig. 29. CodeTwo Signatures Add-in for Outlook automatically adds your default signature as you type. You can also preview the other available signatures via the add-in pane.

You can also add the signatures from your Outlook ribbon – in compose mode, go to the Message tab, click Signature on the ribbon (Fig. 30.) and choose any signature that is available to you (if a signature is already added to your message, it will be replaced with the one you selected).

Fig. 30. You can use Outlook's ribbon to add/change a signature.

Click the add-in button on the Outlook ribbon to show/hide the add-in pane. Note that the button might not be visible if you open a message in a new window. You can use the add-in pane to:

• quickly preview the signatures that are available to you,
• force signature refresh (Fig. 31.) if you do not want to wait for automatic signature synchronization that occurs every couple of minutes,
• sign in or sign out of your user account.

Fig. 31. You can access the Force signature refresh functionality by opening the add-in pane.

The deprecated COM Add-in FAQ

Click a link below to see an answer to a question of your interest:

1. Does the deprecated COM Add-in work with roaming signatures in Outlook?
2. What happens if the same user is defined in both a cloud (server-side) and an Outlook (client-side) signature rule in combo mode? Will they get two signatures in one email?
3. How often does the deprecated COM Add-in synchronize with the CodeTwo cloud service?
4. Are Outlook (client-side) signatures added to other types of emails like message requests or appointments?
5. Can I disable Outlook (client-side) signatures for specific users?
6. Are signatures added to messages sent from an alias address?
7. Can users modify Outlook (client-side) signatures by themselves?
8. Can users get cloud (server-side) signatures when sending emails from Outlook if CodeTwo Email Signatures 365 works in combo mode?
9. What happens when I close the CodeTwo Signatures pane in Outlook? Will Outlook (client-side) signatures still work?
10. Can I disable users’ default signatures in Outlook?

1. Does the deprecated COM Add-in work with roaming signatures in Outlook?

Yes, the add-in continues to work and add Outlook (client-side) signatures to your emails even when the roaming signatures (signature cloud settings) feature is enabled in Outlook.

The suggestion that the deprecated COM Add-in will no longer work results from this article as well as the email notification sent to Microsoft 365 users. In both cases, Microsoft writes that the release of the roaming signatures feature will break third-party COM Add-ins for Outlook used to add signatures unless this feature is manually disabled in Windows registry.

This does not apply to our deprecated COM Add-in – we updated* it back in 2020 to prepare for the release of the roaming signatures. However, if you still use the COM Add-in, we recommend switching to the modern Web Add-in instead, as it offers more features and, in addition to the classic Outlook for Windows, also supports the new Outlook for Windows, Outlook for Mac, OWA, and Outlook for iOS & Android.

* The deprecated COM Add-in updates automatically on users’ computers. Only admins who deployed the COM Add-in globally via GPO before June 17, 2020 need to redeploy it to make sure all users get the latest version of the add-in (instructions on how to do it are available here).

2. What happens if the same user is defined in both a cloud (server-side) and an Outlook (client-side) signature rule in combo mode? Will they get two signatures in one email?

No. If you use the deprecated COM Add-in, CodeTwo Outlook signatures are added to emails sent from Outlook for Windows, while cloud signatures are inserted to messages sent from any other email client. To get access to Outlook signatures, a user needs to install and sign in to the add-in. If the user signs out of the add-in, their emails will be routed though the CodeTwo services and will get cloud signatures, even if those emails are sent from Outlook for Windows. It is possible to get two email signatures only if a user is not signed in to the add-in and inserts an Outlook signature to an email while composing it in Outlook for Windows.

3. How often does the deprecated COM Add-in synchronize with the CodeTwo cloud service?

The add-in synchronizes with the CodeTwo service every few minutes, but users can force synchronization any time they want in the add-in (learn more). During the sync, our service updates Outlook signatures with changes made to Outlook (client-side) signature rules in CodeTwo Email Signatures 365 and, if the Remove all user-defined signatures in Outlook option is enabled (learn more), deletes all changes made to CodeTwo signature templates in Outlook for Windows.

4. Are Outlook (client-side) signatures added to other types of emails like message requests or appointments?

Yes, if you use the deprecated COM Add-in, you can insert a CodeTwo Outlook signature when creating a new meeting or appointment by selecting it from the Signature drop-down menu in Outlook for Windows, available on the Insert tab.

5. Can I disable Outlook (client-side) signatures for specific users?

Yes. Two conditions need to be fulfilled for a user to get access to CodeTwo signatures in Outlook:

• A user needs to be included in an Outlook (client-side) signature rule.
• The deprecated COM Add-in needs to be deployed to that user.

The easiest way to disable Outlook signatures for a user is by not including them in any Outlook signature rule or by excluding them from all the rules.

6. Are signatures added to messages sent from an alias address?

Yes. You can add email signatures to emails sent from an alias address in both Outlook (client-side) and cloud (server-side) signature mode. Keep in mind that Outlook email signatures will contain the contact details of the user signed in to the deprecated COM Add-in. You cannot set up separate signatures for alias addresses (this is only supported by the modern Web Add-in).

Since licenses for CodeTwo Email Signatures 365 are consumed per user, using signatures in emails sent from aliases won’t consume any additional licenses. 

Learn more about how CodeTwo Email Signatures 365 works with email aliases

7. Can users modify Outlook (client-side) signatures by themselves?

Yes and no. Users with the deprecated CodeTwo COM Add-in can insert an Outlook signature to the email body while editing their message. Next, they can modify or remove the signature before sending the email.

However, even if users save their changes to Outlook signature templates, these changes will still get overwritten the next time the add-in synchronizes (this happens every couple of minutes).

If a user changes the name of a signature template or saves a template under a different name, such user-defined templates can be deleted globally throughout all Outlook instances by using the Remove all user-defined signatures in Outlook option in CodeTwo Email Signatures 365 (learn more about this option).

8. Can users get cloud (server-side) signatures when sending emails from Outlook if CodeTwo Email Signatures 365 works in combo mode?

Users will get cloud signatures as long as they are not signed in to the deprecated COM Add-in. However, before they sign out, make sure to either turn off the rules that add Outlook signatures or disable the options that set Outlook signatures to be used as defaults for new messages or replies/forwards (you can do so in the Logic step of an Outlook (client-side) signature rule, when managing email signatures in CodeTwo Email Signatures 365). Otherwise, Outlook signatures will continue to be automatically added to emails as users are composing them in Outlook for Windows. In addition, if Outlook users do not remove these signatures manually, recipients may also get emails with two email signatures. Learn more

9. What happens when I close the CodeTwo Signatures pane in Outlook? Will Outlook (client-side) signatures still work?

Yes, the pane does not need to be open for CodeTwo Outlook signatures to be added to emails.

You can use the pane to sign in to the add-in, preview CodeTwo Outlook signatures, and perform other actions related to CodeTwo services. After you sign in, you can close the pane – Outlook signatures will continue to sync with the CodeTwo cloud service. You can open/close the pane any time by using the dedicated button with the C2 logo on the Home tab in Outlook.

10. Can I disable users’ default signatures in Outlook?

Yes, you can disable user’s default signatures in Outlook for Windows. To do it, select the Remove all user-defined signatures in Outlook option when configuring an Outlook (client-side) signature rule in the Signatures app. Learn more about this option

See also:

• Troubleshooting the deprecated COM Add-in