Previewing email signatures in Outlook (server-side mode)
CodeTwo Email Signatures for Office 365 can add signatures in the cloud (server-side), after emails are sent. By using the CodeTwo Signatures Web Add-in for Outlook, users can see what their email signature looks like when composing an email.
See the video below or continue reading the article to learn how to use the Web Add-in to preview server-side signatures in Outlook, Outlook for Mac and Outlook on the web (OWA).
Information for admins
The Web Add-in is a component of CodeTwo Email Signatures for Office 365. If you want your Microsoft 365 users to see the preview of their server-side signatures in Outlook, you need to:
- Deploy and configure CodeTwo Email Signatures for Office 365 to work in server-side mode in your organization
- Deploy the Web Add-in centrally to your users via Microsoft AppSource or the Microsoft 365 admin center
If you want the Web Add-in to automatically add signatures to emails in Outlook, or allow your users to manually select their signatures while composing an email, you need to change the signature mode to client-side or combo (learn more about signature modes). In combo mode, the Web Add-in can be used both add client-side signatures and preview server-side signatures. Learn more
The Web Add-in's preview function has been designed primarily with end-users in mind, as natively there’s no way for them to see email signatures added server-side. If you would like to see what the signature looks like when an email is sent by a specific user from your organization, use the Signature preview button in the signature template editor. Learn more
For information about the deprecated CodeTwo Email Signatures for Office 365 Add-in (signatures preview add-in), refer to this article.
Opening the Web Add-in's pane in Outlook / OWA
When you start composing a new email or reply to / forward a message in an Outlook desktop app, click the CodeTwo Signatures button on the ribbon to open the Web Add-in's pane (Fig. 1.).
Fig. 1. Opening the Web Add-in's pane in an Outlook desktop app.
To open the pane in Outlook on the web (OWA), click the CodeTwo Signatures button at the bottom of the email (Fig. 2.). If the button is not there, you will find the Web Add-in under More apps (
).
Fig. 2. Opening the Web Add-in's pane in OWA.
Outlook or Cloud mode?
If you see the Outlook/Cloud toggle in the Web Add-in's pane (Fig. 3.), be sure to set it to Cloud to enable the preview feature. Otherwise, the Web Add-in will add automatic signatures to emails in Outlook, if such signatures are configured in your organization.
Fig. 3. Set the toggle to Cloud in the Web Add-in's pane to enable the signature preview feature.
Using the Web Add-in to preview email signatures
The signature preview is based on the rules that apply to your Microsoft 365 organization (learn more). The contents of the CodeTwo Signatures pane are refreshed every time you make changes to your email (e.g. add recipients or type any text) so that the preview is always up to date. You need to add at least one recipient (To, Cc or Bcc) to see email signatures in the pane (Fig. 4.).
Fig. 4. The preview of your signature(s) is shown in the Web Add-in's pane.
If you write an email to several recipients to whom different rules apply (e.g. a different rule applies to internal and external recipients), the CodeTwo Signatures pane will show all the signature variants, one below the other (Fig. 5., item 1). And if you have different signatures configured for new and subsequent emails, you can hover the mouse over the 1ST and NEXT labels (Fig. 5., item 2) to see each signature variant. Find out more about signature rules and conditions
Fig. 5. The Web Add-in showing a preview of two signatures (1 for internal and 1 for external recipients).
If there are any keywords defined that trigger/suppress signatures for you, type the right phrases (in email subject and/or body) and the preview will change accordingly in the Web Add-in's pane. In the example shown in Fig. 6., using the #nobanner keyword in the email subject removed the banner from the signature. Learn more about using keywords
Fig. 6. When a specific keyword is found in email subject or body, the Web Add-in updates the signature preview accordingly.
If you select a different mailbox (email address) in the From field, the Web Add-in will show a preview of signature(s) configured for that mailbox. The same applies to shared mailboxes (Fig. 7.).
Important
The Web Add-in always shows the signature configured for the mailbox selected in the From field. However, a different signature may be added by the CodeTwo service after an email is sent, depending on whether the sender is assigned the Send As or Send On Behalf Of permission to that mailbox. Learn more
Fig. 7. Previewing a signature set up for a shared mailbox.
Keep in mind that the Web Add-in shows only the contents of the signature section of your signature template. If you define the program to add left/right banners or a top section (header) to emails, these sections will not be included in the preview pane. Learn more about managing email sections in the signature template editor