How to add different signatures to the first and subsequent messages

Learn how to automatically add different signatures to the first messages and replies/forwards in email conversations with CodeTwo Email Signatures 365.

It is usually a good idea to provide your full contact information, an advertising banner, and a legal disclaimer in the signature of your first (opening) email. These elements can help you generate more leads, promote your products and services, and secure compliance with various regulations.

However, as you continue exchanging messages with the same person, these items have already fulfilled their role. They are no longer needed in your second, third and further emails in a conversation. What is more, at that point, a repeating and overly large email signature makes messages uncomfortably long and the conversation hard to read. Most importantly, due to their complex structure, messages with numerous repeating signatures might be blocked by some spam filters. Instead, you can create a different signature for use in your first email and a different signature for subsequent messages.

A signature for the first email could contain the following elements:

• full contact information (sender's name, job title, phone number, company address, etc.),
• a company logo,
• a marketing banner,
• links to social media profiles,
• a legal disclaimer*,
• and more.

A signature for replies and forwards should be simpler and include:

• sender’s name, job title, telephone number,
• a company name,
• a small company logo,
• a legal disclaimer*.

* The decision to add or remove a legal disclaimer from your email should always be made in accordance with the guidelines provided by your legal team and should follow the practices specified in your company policies.

How to configure the program for this scenario

Use the links below to learn how to use different signatures for new messages, replies and forwards in:

• Cloud (server-side) mode
• Outlook (client-side) mode

Cloud mode

In cloud (server-side) mode, CodeTwo Email Signatures 365 can automatically add the right signature depending if the email being sent is your first message in a conversation or a subsequent message. You simply need to create a signature rule containing two different signature template variants and select which template should be added to which message type. This is done the following way:

Create a new server-side signature rule and name it (Fig. 1.). Configure the conditions and exceptions in the Senders, Recipients and Keywords steps as needed.

Fig. 1. Creating a cloud (server-side) signature rule.

In the Design step, expand the Choose how you want the signature to appear in email conversations drop-down list and select Different signature in the first email and different in subsequent emails (Fig. 2.).

Fig. 2. Selecting the signature adding method in the Design step.

Select the First signature tab and click Edit signature to open an existing signature template or create one from scratch (Fig. 3.). Learn more about how to design your first template in the signature template editor

Fig. 3. Opening the signature template editor to create a signature template for new emails.

This will be the signature template used in your first email in a conversation. It can include complete contact information as well as additional items including a larger company logo, marketing banner, disclaimer, etc.

When your signature template is complete, save your changes and close the editor. In the Design step, select Subsequent signatures and click Edit signature once again to create another signature template (Fig. 4.).

Fig. 4. Opening the signature template editor to create a signature template for replies and forwards.

This signature will be added to subsequent messages in an email conversation. Make it simpler and make sure it contains only the items that are really required such as sender’s name, job title, telephone number, etc.

When your second signature template is ready, submit the changes to CodeTwo Azure servers by clicking Save & Publish. You can close the program.

Outlook mode

In Outlook (client-side) mode, CodeTwo Email Signatures 365 can automatically provide different signatures for new messages and for replies and forwards as you type an email in Outlook for Windows, Outlook for Mac, and Outlook on the web (OWA).

To configure the program for this scenario, you need to create two separate Outlook (client-side) signature rules with identical groups of senders but different signature templates. Then, select which template will be used as the default one for new emails and which when you are replying or forwarding messages. To do this:

Create a new client-side signature rule and name it (e.g. Signature for new emails), as shown in Fig. 5. Configure the conditions and exceptions in the Senders step as required. Learn more

Fig. 5. Creating a new Outlook (client-side) signature rule.

Go to the Design step and create or edit an existing signature template as discussed here.

This will be the default signature rule for new emails. Make the signature template more complex. We recommend using complete contact information and additional items, such as marketing banners, links to social media profiles, a legal disclaimer, etc.

When your signature template is complete, save your changes and close the editor. Go to the Logic step and select the Set this signature as default for new messages checkbox (Fig. 6.).

Fig. 6. Selecting the signature rule as default for new emails.

Click the Clone button in the signature management app's main window to clone the rule you have just created (Fig. 7.). That way you make sure that both signatures are assigned to the same users. Cloning is especially useful if you are using more complex sets of conditions and exceptions to define senders.

Fig. 7. Cloning the signature rule.

Select the rule you just cloned and go to the Name step to rename it (e.g. Signature for replies). In the Design step, open the signature template editor and create or edit a signature template that will be added to replies and forwards. Keep it simple and make sure it contains only the items that are really required, such as sender’s name, job title, telephone number, etc.

When your second signature template is complete, save your changes and close the editor. In the Logic step, select the Set this signature as default for replies and forwards checkbox (Fig. 8.).

Fig. 8. Selecting the signature rule as default for replies.

Finally, submit the changes to CodeTwo Azure servers by clicking Save & Publish and close the program. Outlook (client-side) signatures will be made available in Outlook and OWA to defined users.

Result

In cloud (server-side) mode, the correct signature template is applied automatically without user interaction. The program detects if the message being sent is a new message in a given conversation or a subsequent one (a reply or forward). In this example, Megan initiates a conversation with Alex and her first email contains a full signature (Fig. 9., item 1). Later, she responds to Alex’s email and her reply now has the simplified email signature (Fig. 9., item 2).

Fig. 9. Different signatures in an email conversation.

In Outlook (client-side) mode, the default signature will be inserted as you compose the email depending if it is a new message or a reply or forwarded message. In this example, John wrote to Alex and the program added a full signature (Fig. 10., item 1). When John continued the conversation with Alex, the default signature changed to the simplified version (Fig. 10., item 2).

Fig. 10. Different signatures in an email conversation in Outlook (client-side) mode.