CodeTwo Signatures Add-in for Outlook

CodeTwo Signatures Add-in for Outlook adds automatic signatures to emails in Outlook (Outlook for Windows, Mac, iOS & Android and Outlook on the web / OWA). It's been co-engineered with Microsoft using Microsoft's latest Web Add-in technology to speed up the deployment and improve cross-platform support. See the video below or continue reading to learn how the add-in works and how to use it.

If you are still using the deprecated CodeTwo Signatures Add-in for Outlook (COM Add-in), see this article instead.

How to use

The add-in works on all recent desktop and mobile Outlook versions (see supported versions), but the experience can feel different. Read on or use the links to learn more.

• Using the add-in in Outlook desktop and Outlook on the web (OWA)
• Using the add-in on mobile devices
• Changing the language to German (Deutsch)

Using CodeTwo Add-in in Outlook desktop and Outlook on the web (OWA)

Automatic signatures

As soon as you start typing an email in Outlook, the CodeTwo add-in automatically inserts a signature into the email body (Fig. 1.). This works the same across Outlook for Windows (classic and new), Outlook for Mac, and Outlook on the web (OWA).

Fig. 1. CodeTwo Outlook Add-in automatically adds a signature to the body of an email.

Based on CodeTwo signature rules configured by your admin, you can get different automatic signatures for new emails, replies/forwards, internal and external emails, specific recipients, and more.

For example:

• If you send an email to internal recipients only, they will see your internal signature.
• If you add an external recipient in the To field, the signature will automatically change to your external version.

CodeTwo Outlook add-in uses Microsoft's latest event-based activation feature to fully automate the signature adding process, so there's no need to manually launch the add-in each time you type an email.

Changing the signature manually

If there are multiple signatures set up for you (by a CodeTwo admin in your company), you can replace the signature that's been automatically inserted by the CodeTwo add-in with a different one via the add-in pane:

• In Outlook desktop, while composing an email, click the CodeTwo Signatures button (see Fig. 2.) on the ribbon to open the add-in pane. Next, click Use this signature under the signature you want to insert.

Fig. 2. Inserting an email signature manually from the CodeTwo Outlook Add-in's pane.

• In the new Outlook for Windows or Outlook on the web (OWA), go to the Message or Insert tab and click Apps () > CodeTwo Signatures Add-in for Outlook to launch the add-in pane, as shown in Fig. 3. Then click Use this signature under the signature you want to insert.

Fig. 3. Opening the CodeTwo Outlook Add-in's pane in Outlook on the web.

If you want the add-in pane to automatically open each time you compose an email, click the pin () button in the top-right corner of the pane. Click the pin button again to unpin (hide) the pane.

Changing the email sender (From field email address)

The behavior of the CodeTwo Outlook Add-in when you change the sender (email address) in a message's From field depends on how your admin configured the add-in.

By default, you will always get your own email signature, even if you change the From field and send an email as / on behalf of another user or shared mailbox, or from an alias address.

However, if the CodeTwo Outlook Add-in is configured to match the signature with the email address in the From field (this feature – Change CodeTwo Outlook signatures to match the email address in the From field – needs to be enabled by your admin, as described here), the signature will update automatically when you change the sender (Fig. 4.).

Fig. 4. The CodeTwo add-in can automatically change the signature based on the selected email sender.

For example:

• When user X sends emails as (or on behalf of) user Y, the add-in adds the signature configured for user Y.
• When user X sends emails as (or on behalf of) a shared mailbox, the add-in adds the signature configured for the shared mailbox. 
• When user X sends emails using their alias email address, the add-in adds the signature configured for the alias.

If you have multiple accounts added to your Outlook desktop app and change the sender in the From field to another account, the add-in will always update the signature in an email to match the selected account.

No matter if the add-in updates the signature automatically or keeps the original sender's signature when you change the From field, you can always insert another signature manually (if available) from the add-in pane, as described here. 

Changing the email recipient (To/Cc email address)

If your admin set up different CodeTwo Outlook signatures for different email recipients (internal, external, specific addresses, etc.), the CodeTwo Add-in will automatically change your signature as you add or remove addresses in the To field. For example, if you're sending an email to internal recipients only, an internal signature will be added. If you add an external recipient, the add-in will automatically change the signature to an external one, as shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 5. CodeTwo Outlook Add-in automatically adds a signature based on email recipients (A – internal; B – external).

If you send an email to multiple recipients, the add-in inserts a signature based on the first Outlook signature rule (in the CodeTwo Signatures app) whose conditions are met. This means all email recipients see the same signature – either the one automatically added by the add-in or the one you selected manually from the add-in pane. See this article for additional details and examples.

Using the Outlook / Cloud toggle

If you see the Outlook / Cloud toggle in the CodeTwo add-in's pane (Fig. 6.), you can use it to switch between Outlook (client-side) and cloud (server-side) signatures.

• If the toggle is set to Outlook, the add-in works as described earlier – it adds your signature automatically as you type and shows other signatures that you can choose instead.
• If you switch the toggle to Cloud, your email signature will no longer be shown below your message. That's because your signature will be added in the cloud after you send the email. The add-in pane will preview your cloud signature (see Fig. 6.) based on email signature rules set up by a CodeTwo admin in your organization. Note that you need to add at least one recipient to see the preview. If there are no cloud signatures set up for you, you might want to switch the toggle back to Outlook to avoid sending a message without a signature.

Fig. 6. The toggle lets you switch between cloud (server-side) and Outlook (client-side) signatures.

Learn more about using the CodeTwo Outlook add-in to preview signatures

Updating personal information in email signatures

If some information (like job title or phone number) is outdated or incorrect in your email signatures, you can update it from the My user info app:

• by clicking Your personal info is not up to date? link in the add-in pane as shown in Fig. 7.,
• or by going directly to user.codetwo.com.

Note that you won't be able to sign in to My user info unless your admin has enabled personal information management in CodeTwo's Signatures app. To learn how to use the My user info app, see this article. 

Fig. 7. Use the highlighted link in the add-in pane to update your user information in email signatures.

Signing in to the CodeTwo Outlook Add-in

When your sign-in session in Outlook expires (e.g. because your password has been changed or you’ve been signed out of all Microsoft 365 services), the CodeTwo add-in will recognize this and prompt you to sign in via the add-in pane (Fig. 8.). Click Open add-in pane and then click the Sign in button in the pane. In the Microsoft sign-in window, enter the credentials of the account you use with Outlook. If you see a message saying CodeTwo Signatures wants to display a new window, click Allow.

Signing in is necessary for the add-in to authenticate you and continue adding your email signatures.

Fig. 8. CodeTwo sign-in prompt in Outlook in the new message window.

In rare cases, you may be prompted to accept the required permissions when signing in to the add-in. Click Accept to provide consent. If security policies prevent you from providing consent, ask your admin to do so on your behalf or to enable you to consent to apps. Detailed steps for both options can be found in this article.

Using CodeTwo Outlook Add-in on mobile devices

If CodeTwo mobile signatures are enabled, a signature is added automatically when you start a new email in Outlook on iOS or Android (Fig. 9.). When the add-in adds a CodeTwo signature, it also disables (removes) any signature set up in your Outlook mobile app. Depending on the signature rules configured by your admin, you can get different automatic signatures for new emails, replies/forwards, internal and external emails, specific recipients, and more. 

Fig. 9. CodeTwo signature added to an email composed in Outlook for Android.

When you reply to an email from an Outlook mobile app, the quick reply box opens. An email signature is not shown in this box to save space, but it is still added to the email. To view the signature, click the ⤢ button to open the full compose view (Fig. 10.).

Fig. 10. Opening the full compose view for a reply in Outlook for Android.

If you don't want to open the full compose mode only to make sure a signature was added to your email, your admin can enable add-in notifications for Outlook mobile apps (Fig. 11.), as described here.

Fig. 11. An example of a notification shown by CodeTwo Add-in in Outlook for Android.

Changing the email sender in Outlook mobile

The behavior of the CodeTwo Outlook Add-in when you change the sender (email address) in the From field on a mobile device depends on your admin's configuration. By default, changing the sender removes a signature from your email.

However, if the CodeTwo add-in is configured to match the signature with the email address in the From field (this feature – Change CodeTwo Outlook signatures to match the email address in the From field – needs to be enabled by your admin, as described here), the signature will update automatically when you change the sender, as shown in Fig. 12.

Fig. 12. The CodeTwo add-in can automatically change the signature based on the selected email sender.

Changing the email recipient in Outlook mobile

The signature updates automatically when you change email recipients, e.g. add or remove addresses in the To field, as shown in Fig. 13. If you send an email to multiple recipients, the add-in inserts a signature based on the first Outlook signature rule (in the CodeTwo Signatures app) whose conditions are met. This means all email recipients see the same signature. See this article for additional details and examples.

Fig. 13. CodeTwo signature auto-updates to external when the email recipient changes.

For additional info about using the CodeTwo add-in on mobile devices, see our FAQ. 

Changing the language to German (Deutsch)

CodeTwo Signatures Add-in for Outlook is also available in German. To use the German interface, set the preferred/display language in your Outlook app or in your web browser to German.