CodeTwo Signatures Web Add-in for Outlook - centralized deployment
The modern CodeTwo Signatures Web Add-in for Outlook, co-engineered with Microsoft, adds signatures as users type an email in Outlook for Windows, Outlook for Mac and Outlook on the web / OWA (support for Outlook for iOS and Android coming soon). The Web Add-in also allows users to preview the signature that will be added in the cloud (after an email is sent).
The add-in can be easily deployed centrally to all or selected users in your organization through the Microsoft 365 admin center. The deployment is per Microsoft 365 user not per device, so the add-in works in Outlook and OWA on any device the user signs into. No need to install any additional COM/EXE objects.
Read this before the deployment
- The Web Add-in only works with supported versions of Outlook. If necessary, update Outlook desktop apps.
- If your organization uses an endpoint security tool (such as a firewall), be sure to whitelist these add-in endpoint addresses for the Web Add-in to work.
- The Web Add-in needs to be deployed by your organization's Microsoft 365 Exchange admin or global admin account.
- If you have already deployed the legacy COM Add-in to your Outlook users, you need to uninstall it after deploying the modern Web Add-in (once it becomes available in Outlook), as you can only use either of them. Otherwise, the add-ins can conflict with each other.
- The Web Add-in may not provide full support for shared mailboxes. This is because this type of mailboxes is not yet officially supported by Microsoft on their Office Add-in platform.
For more information related to the Web Add-in's deployment, see the FAQ section below.
For instructions on how to use the modern Signatures Web Add-in, see this article.
Deployment instructions
The simplest deployment is via Microsoft AppSource, which then automatically redirects you to a deployment wizard in your Microsoft 365 admin center.
Important
If your company uses an endpoint manager or a firewall, be sure to whitelist CodeTwo Signatures Web Add-in for Outlook endpoints. Otherwise, the Web Add-in will not work. If you've already whitelisted the necessary endpoints or intend to do this later, proceed with the deployment.
To deploy the Web Add-in, watch our video tutorial or check the instructions below.
- Open the Web Add-in listing on Microsoft AppSource.
- Click the Get it now button, as shown in Fig. 1.
Fig. 1. Getting the CodeTwo Signatures Web Add-in for Outlook from Microsoft AppSource.
- Sign in to AppSource with your organization's Microsoft 365 Exchange admin or global admin account (if necessary, provide some basic profile information and grant the required permission) and click Continue. You'll be redirected to the Microsoft 365 admin center where the add-in deployment wizard will open automatically.
- In the wizard, specify which users can access the add-in. Select:
- Just me to deploy the add-in only for the admin account used to deploy the add-in,
- Entire organization to deploy the add-in for all users in your Microsoft 365 organization,
- Specific users/groups to deploy the add-in only for the selected users or groups of users. Use the search box to find and add individual users or groups, as shown in Fig. 2.
Supported groups
While the centralized deployment works for most of the group types available in Microsoft 365, it does not support nested groups or groups that have parent groups (non-top-level groups).
Fig. 2. Selecting the add-in users.
- Click Next twice and then click Finish deployment.
- Once the deployment is completed, click Done to close the pane.
It usually takes up to 6 hours for the add-in to appear and work correctly in Outlook. However, the deployment can take up to 72 hours to complete, depending on the size of your organization.
You will now see the Web Add-in (CodeTwo for Outlook) on the Integrated apps page (Fig. 3.). If you click it, the details pane opens on the right. From here, you can use the provided links to manage the add-in's users, update the add-in, as well as remove the add-in from your Microsoft 365 tenant.
If you don't see CodeTwo for Outlook on the Integrated apps page but CodeTwo Signatures instead, refer to this FAQ for more information.
Fig. 3. The Web Add-in listed on the Integrated apps page.
Now you need to create an email signature and assign users who should get it. To do so, create and configure a signature rule by following this guide.
Optional: deployment directly from the Microsoft 365 admin center
You can also deploy the Web Add-in directly from the Microsoft 365 admin center, but this scenario is sometimes confusing due to the way apps & add-ins are displayed when you browse through Microsoft AppSource. Pay special attention not to confuse the add-in listing with our cloud service listing.
Important
If your company uses an endpoint manager or a firewall, be sure to whitelist CodeTwo Signatures Web Add-in for Outlook endpoints. Otherwise, the Web Add-in will not work. If you've already whitelisted the necessary endpoints or intend to do this later, proceed with the deployment.
- Sign in to the Microsoft 365 admin center using your Exchange admin or global admin account.
- Go to Settings > Integrated apps and click Get apps (Fig. 4.). This will open Microsoft AppSource.
Fig. 4. Opening Microsoft AppSource in the Microsoft 365 admin center.
- Search for
codetwo
and click the CodeTwo for Outlook card (Fig. 5.).
Fig. 5. CodeTwo Signatures Web Add-in for Outlook in Microsoft AppSource.Important
Do not click the CodeTwo Email Signatures 365 card. It is used to deploy the entire CodeTwo signature service instead, not the Web Add-in.
- Click the Get It Now button on the left, as highlighted in Fig. 6.
Fig. 6. Getting the Web Add-in from Microsoft AppSource.
- Next, continue the deployment from step 4, as outlined in the previous section. Keep in mind that you may be prompted to fill out some basic profile information.
Add-in capabilities
The table below shows how the add-in works depending on the signature mode in which CodeTwo Email Signatures 365 operates:
| Signature modes: | CLOUD (SERVER-SIDE) |
OUTLOOK (CLIENT-SIDE) |
COMBO |
|---|---|---|---|
| Add-in capabilities: | Preview signatures added in the cloud after an email is sent | Add automatic signatures in Outlook & OWA as user types |
|
When you change the signature mode from cloud to Outlook/combo (or from Outlook/combo to cloud), it can take up to 4 hours before the add-in starts to work as intended for the currently selected signature mode. Learn more about signature modes
Using the Web Add-in in combo mode
When CodeTwo Email Signatures 365 operates in combo signature mode, the Web Add-in works the same way as in the Outlook signature mode – it adds signatures in Outlook & OWA. However, the Web Add-in can also be used to preview CodeTwo cloud signatures.
To enable this feature in your organization, sign in to CodeTwo Admin Panel, click the name of your tenant, and then go to Outlook add-in. In the Modern CodeTwo Web Add-in for Outlook & OWA section, click Show advanced options, as shown in Fig. 7. Select the checkbox next to the Allow users to switch between CodeTwo cloud (server-side) and Outlook (client-side) signatures in Outlook option and click Apply.
Once enabled, the Outlook/Cloud toggle will appear in the Web Add-in's pane (it may take up to 4 hours for the toggle to appear). The preview feature will work if the toggle is set to Cloud. Learn more about this feature
Advanced add-in options
Warning
The settings listed below change how the add-in interacts with various Outlook settings. Make sure you understand how they work before enabling them.
Changes to these settings may take up to 4 hours to propagate.
To access additional Web Add-in settings, sign in to CodeTwo Admin Panel, select your tenant on the Tenants page and go to Outlook add-in. In the Modern CodeTwo Web Add-in for Outlook & OWA section, click Show/Hide advanced options (Fig. 7.).
Fig. 7. Accessing advanced add-in options in CodeTwo Admin Panel.
The following settings are available:
- Always disable end users’ default signatures in Outlook
- Hide add-in notifications displayed above emails in compose mode
- Change CodeTwo Outlook (client-side) signatures based on the From field
- Allow users to switch between CodeTwo cloud (server-side) and Outlook (client-side) signatures in Outlook
Watch our video tutorial to learn about advanced add-in options and how to enable them, or continue reading below.
Always disable end users’ default signatures in Outlook
End users can set up their own local signatures in Outlook or Outlook on the web (for example, in the Signatures and Stationery settings) that can be automatically added to new emails or to replies and forwards. By default, once you deploy the CodeTwo Signatures Web Add-in for Outlook, these local signatures are disabled for those end users who have their CodeTwo Outlook signatures added automatically by the Web Add-in. To get automatic email signatures, the options marked in Fig. 8. need to be enabled for at least one Outlook (client-side) signature rule. Learn more about these options
Fig. 8. Signature adding options for an Outlook (client-side) signature rule.
However, if you select the Always disable end users’ default signatures in Outlook option, the default Outlook signatures will be disabled for all end users for whom the Web Add-in was deployed, no matter, if they actually get any CodeTwo signatures (Fig. 9.). This setting is especially useful in cloud (server-side) mode, when the Web Add-in is used to preview signatures added in the cloud, as it can prevent sending an email with two email signatures: a cloud signature added by the CodeTwo service after an email is sent, and a local signature added by Outlook.
Fig. 9. Default Outlook signatures disabled by the Web Add-in (cloud mode).
Important
This option works only with OWA and supported versions of Outlook.
Hide add-in notifications displayed above emails in compose mode (not available in cloud mode)
The Web Add-in's notifications appear above emails in Outlook, as shown in Fig. 10. If you select the Hide add-in notifications displayed above emails in compose mode option, the Web Add-in will no longer show non-critical information, but the notifications will still appear if something goes wrong, and CodeTwo Outlook signatures are not added correctly.
Fig. 10. Web Add-in's notifications can be disabled in CodeTwo Admin Panel.
Change CodeTwo Outlook (client-side) signatures based on the From field (not available in cloud mode)
By default, in Outlook, when User X sends an email as or on behalf of User Y (or, for example, a shared mailbox), the Web Add-in's pane always shows email signatures defined for User X, as shown in Fig. 11., item B.
However, if you want the Web Add-in to show email signatures defined for User Y instead (Fig. 11., item A), apply the Change CodeTwo Outlook (client-side) signatures based on the From field option. Once you do that, the Web Add-in's pane will always show User Y's signatures, no matter if User X has Send as or Send on behalf permission to User Y's account. Note that User X still needs to manually add User's Y signature to an email by clicking the Use this signature button in the pane.
Fig. 11. You can configure the Web Add-in to show only signatures set for the account to which it has been deployed (item B) or to always show signatures defined for the account selected in the From field (item A).
Important
In the cloud signature mode, the Web Add-in always shows a signature set for the user/email address selected in the email's From field.
Allow users to switch between CodeTwo cloud (server-side) and Outlook (client-side) signatures in Outlook (available in combo mode only)
Select the Allow users to switch between CodeTwo cloud (server-side) and Outlook (client-side) signatures in Outlook option to enable a toggle button in the Web Add-in's pane (Fig. 12.). This button allows your end users to choose how they want their signatures to be added. They can switch between:
- Outlook (client-side) signatures – added directly in Outlook & OWA as you compose an email. End users can also use the Web Add-in's pane to manually select a different email signature. Learn more
- Cloud (server-side) signatures – added in the cloud after an email is sent. The Web Add-in's pane will show a preview of end user's signature(s). Learn more
Fig. 12. The toggle button allows users to switch between server-side (cloud) and client-side (Outlook) signatures.
With this advanced option unselected, the Web Add-in will always add Outlook signatures.
Add-in FAQ
- Can users still get cloud (server-side) signatures for emails sent from Outlook clients on which the Web Add-in has been deployed?
- Can users install the Web Add-in by themselves?
- Can I use the Web Add-in on virtualized environments such as Windows Virtual Desktop (WVD) and Microsoft Azure or Terminal Server (RDS)?
- What user/organization data is accessed by the Web Add-in and for what purposes?
- Signatures are not being added automatically to emails. Why?
- Web Add-in is missing or not working in Outlook. How to fix it?
- How to add/remove Web Add-in users?
- "CodeTwo Signatures" is shown on the Integrated apps page in Microsoft 365. What is this add-in?
- I’ve already deployed the Web Add-in by using the manifest file. Do I need to redeploy it for my Microsoft 365 tenant from Microsoft AppSource?
- Why can't I edit the Web Add-in on the Integrated apps page in Microsoft 365?
- Why can't I see the Web Add-in deployed by another admin on the Integrated apps page?
- How to remove the Web Add-in?
1. Can users still get cloud (server-side) signatures for emails sent from Outlook clients on which the Web Add-in has been deployed?
Yes and no. If you use CodeTwo Email Signatures 365 in combo mode, a CodeTwo cloud signature will be added to an email sent from Outlook desktop and OWA only if:
- there are no Outlook (client-side) signatures set as default ones for new messages or replies/forwards (learn more); and
- a user doesn't add an Outlook signature manually (using the CodeTwo Signatures pane) while composing an email.
If the Web Add-in adds an Outlook signature automatically, but you delete this signature manually from your message before sending it, a cloud signature will not be added. The same will happen if you add a signature manually but then remove it from an email.
2. Can users install the Web Add-in by themselves?
Yes and no. Since the Web Add-in is available on Microsoft AppSource, every Microsoft 365 user can install it in their Outlook directly from the AppSource page or by using the Get Add-ins option in Outlook desktop or OWA.
The Web Add-in installed directly from Outlook will work, and users will have access to their signatures, provided that CodeTwo Email Signatures 365 is deployed in your Microsoft 365 tenant, and these users are included in at least one Outlook (client-side) rule. However, the automatic insertion of email signatures (the event-based activation feature) will not work – users will need to add signatures manually, as described here.
To make the most of the Web Add-in and its features, it needs to be deployed centrally, by following these steps. Once you deploy the Web Add-in directly from the Microsoft 365 admin center, it will automatically overwrite the same Web Add-in that has been individually installed by your users.
3. Can I use the Web Add-in on virtualized environments such as Windows Virtual Desktop (WVD) and Microsoft Azure or Terminal Server (RDS)?
Yes, the modern CodeTwo Signatures Web Add-in for Outlook can be used in both standard (physical) and virtual environments. To add CodeTwo Outlook (client-side) signatures regardless of the used environment, your user should have access to the Office 365 desktop apps (Outlook) or a compatible browser (for OWA access) on their (client) computer, as well as be signed in to their Microsoft 365 account in them.
4. What user/organization data is accessed by the Web Add-in and for what purposes?
CodeTwo Signatures Web Add-in for Outlook & OWA accesses the following user data: sender’s email address, message type (new message, a reply, or a forward), and message body type (HTML or plain text). This data is necessary to correctly apply signature rules and verify end user’s licensing information.
5. Signatures are not being added automatically to emails. Why?
You either use an unsupported version of Outlook (learn more about the Web Add-in requirements) or you have installed the add-in manually from the AppSource or Outlook (see also this question above).
6. Web Add-in is missing or not working in Outlook. How to fix it?
If you are experiencing this issue, make sure to allow traffic on your firewall / endpoint management software for these add-in endpoint addresses.
7. How to add/remove Web Add-in users?
There are two methods that you can use to add or remove Web Add-in users:
- (Recommended) If you deploy the Web Add-in to a specific group of users, all members of this group will get the Web Add-in. If you want to allow or deny access to the Web Add-in to specific users, simply add or remove group members, respectively. You can use most of the groups available in Microsoft 365, including Microsoft 365 groups, distribution lists and security groups. Nested groups or groups that have parent groups are not supported.
- Go to the Integrated apps page in the Microsoft 365 admin center, select CodeTwo for Outlook and then click Edit users, as shown in Fig. 13. Next, continue as described in this step of the Web Add-in deployment guide.
Fig. 13. Editing the Web Add-in users directly from the Integrated apps page.
In either case, it can take up to 24 hours for the Web Add-in to show up in or be removed from users' Outlook apps.
8. "CodeTwo Signatures" is shown on the Integrated apps page in Microsoft 365. What is this add-in?
CodeTwo Signatures is the old name of the CodeTwo Signatures Web Add-in for Outlook. If you see this name instead of CodeTwo for Outlook, it means you deployed the Web Add-in by providing a link to its manifest file (instead of deploying the Web Add-in by following these steps).
See also point 8. below for more info.
9. I’ve already deployed the Web Add-in by using the manifest file. Do I need to redeploy it for my Microsoft 365 tenant from Microsoft AppSource?
The deployment via the manifest file was only supported in the beta version of the Web Add-in. Currently, the only supported method of deployment is though Microsoft AppSource.
To make sure the Web Add-in works as intended in your organization, remove the Web Add-in from your Microsoft 365 tenant and deploy it again by following these steps.
10. Why can't I edit the Web Add-in on the Integrated apps page in Microsoft 365?
Exchange admins in Microsoft 365 can only edit apps (add-ins) that they deployed themselves. Only Microsoft 365 global admins can access and edit apps deployed by other admins.
11. Why can't I see the Web Add-in deployed by another admin on the Integrated apps page?
Sometimes, there's a lag in the Microsoft 365 admin center. If the Web Add-in (or any other app) is deployed on the Integrated apps page by a different admin, you won't see it immediately on the apps list. You need to click the Refresh button above the apps list (see Fig. 13.) for the Web Add-in to appear. Note that you might need to refresh the apps list several times for this to work.
12. How to remove the Web Add-in?
See this article.
11. How to...
For more information about the CodeTwo Signatures Web Add-in for Outlook, see the Signature modes FAQ.
See also
CodeTwo Signatures Web Add-in for Outlook - find out more about the modern Web Add-in and how to use it.