CodeTwo Signatures Add-in for Outlook - centralized deployment

CodeTwo Signatures Add-in for Outlook, co-engineered with Microsoft, adds signatures as users type an email in Outlook for Windows, Mac, Outlook on the web (OWA), iOS & Android. The 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.

• Deployment instructions
• Add-in capabilities (based on signature mode)
• Add-in settings
• Add-in FAQ

For instructions on how to use the add-in, see this article.

Deployment instructions

To deploy the CodeTwo Outlook Add-in, watch our video tutorial or check the instructions below.

1. Use this link to launch the add-in deployment wizard in your Microsoft 365 admin center (Integrated apps). If necessary, sign in to Microsoft with your organization's Microsoft 365 global admin account. 

   For an alternative deployment method via Microsoft AppSource, see this section.

2. 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. 1.

     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).

     Click Next to proceed.

Fig. 1. Selecting the add-in users.

3. In the next step, click Accept permissions (Fig. 2.). In the Microsoft sign-in window, sign in with your organization's Microsoft 365 global admin account to grant all the permissions necessary for the add-in to work correctly.

Fig. 2. Accepting the permissions required by the CodeTwo Outlook Add-in.

3. Once you're back on the Integrated apps page, click Next and then click Finish deployment.
4. After the deployment is completed, click Done to close the pane.

You will now see the add-in (CodeTwo Signatures Add-in 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.

Fig. 3. The CodeTwo Outlook Add-in listed on the Integrated apps page.

Note that by default the add-in will work across all Outlook apps (desktop, mobile and OWA). You can disable adding CodeTwo signatures to emails sent from Outlook for iOS and Android and access other add-in settings in CodeTwo Admin Panel. Learn more

Now you need to create an email signature and assign users who should get it. To do this, create and configure a signature rule by following this guide. 

End users can find instructions on how to use the add-in in this article.

Optional: deployment via Microsoft AppSource

You can get the CodeTwo Outlook Add-in from Microsoft AppSource. To start the deployment, you will be automatically redirected to a deployment wizard in your Microsoft 365 admin center.

1. Open the add-in listing on Microsoft AppSource.
2. Click the Get it now button, as shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 4. Getting the CodeTwo Signatures Add-in for Outlook from Microsoft AppSource.

3. Sign in to AppSource with your organization's Microsoft 365 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.
4. Continue the deployment from step 2, as outlined in the previous section.

Add-in capabilities (based on signature mode)

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 in Outlook desktop & OWA	Add automatic signatures in Outlook desktop, mobile & OWA as user types	Add automatic signatures in Outlook desktop, mobile & OWA as user types (default behavior) Preview signatures added in the cloud after an email is sent in Outlook desktop & OWA (available only if users are allowed to switch between cloud and Outlook signatures in the add-in by using the Outlook/Cloud toggle, and the toggle is set to Cloud – learn more)

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

Add-in settings

To access add-in settings, sign in to CodeTwo Admin Panel, select your tenant on the Tenants page, and go to Outlook add-in (Fig. 5.).

Fig. 5. Add-in settings in CodeTwo Admin Panel.

Click Show advanced settings to access more settings (see Fig. 5.). Watch our video tutorial to learn about advanced add-in settings and how to enable them, or continue reading below.

The following settings are available:

• Add CodeTwo signatures also in Outlook for iOS and Android
• Always disable end users’ default signatures in Outlook
• Show add-in notifications displayed above emails in compose mode in Outlook for Windows, Outlook for Mac & OWA
• Show add-in notifications displayed above emails in compose mode in Outlook for iOS and Android
• Change CodeTwo Outlook (client-side) signatures to match the email address in the From field
• Allow users to switch between CodeTwo cloud (server-side) and Outlook (client-side) signatures in Outlook

Add CodeTwo signatures also in Outlook for iOS and Android

By default, the add-in works with all Outlook apps (desktop, mobile & OWA). A mobile CodeTwo signature is added automatically as soon as users start composing an email in their Outlook mobile app. End users can have a different signature set for new emails and a different one for replies/forwards (just make sure you set the default signature as shown in Fig. 6.). Learn more about using the add-in on mobile devices

You can turn on/off mobile Outlook signatures by using the Add CodeTwo signatures also in Outlook for iOS and Android toggle in CodeTwo Admin Panel (see Fig. 5.).

Note that mobile Outlook apps have some limitations compared to Outlook desktop or OWA (e.g. Outlook mobile does not support the add-in pane or shared mailboxes). See this FAQ for additional information. 

Always disable end users’ default signatures in Outlook

Watch our quick video below or read on to learn how this setting works.

End users can set up their own local signatures in Outlook (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 Add-in for Outlook, these local signatures are disabled for those end users who have their CodeTwo Outlook signatures added automatically by the add-in. To get automatic email signatures, the options marked in Fig. 6. need to be enabled for at least one Outlook (client-side) signature rule. Learn more about these options

Fig. 6. Signature adding options for an Outlook (client-side) signature rule.

However, if you turn on Always disable end users’ default signatures in Outlook in CodeTwo Admin Panel (see where to find this setting), the default Outlook signatures will be disabled for all end users for whom the add-in was deployed, no matter, if they actually get any CodeTwo signatures (Fig. 7.). This setting is especially useful in cloud (server-side) mode, when the 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. This also works with mobile signatures (if this setting is enabled).

Fig. 7. Default Outlook signatures disabled by the add-in (cloud mode).

Show add-in notifications displayed above emails in compose mode in Outlook for Windows, Outlook for Mac & OWA (not available in cloud mode)

The add-in's notifications appear above emails in Outlook. By default, only critical notifications are shown (e.g. if something goes wrong and Outlook signatures are not added correctly). If you want to receive non-critical notifications as well (e.g. when the add-in inserts a signature, as shown in Fig. 8.), you can enable them by turning on Show add-in notifications displayed above emails in compose mode in Outlook for Windows, Outlook for Mac & OWA in CodeTwo Admin Panel (see where to find this setting).

Fig. 8. Non-critical add-in's notifications can be enabled in CodeTwo Admin Panel.

Show add-in notifications displayed above emails in compose mode in Outlook for iOS and Android (not available in cloud mode)

By default, the CodeTwo Outlook Add-in shows only critical notifications (if something goes wrong) in Outlook mobile. If you want to receive non-critical notifications as well (as shown in Fig. 9.), enable Show add-in notifications displayed above emails in compose mode in Outlook for iOS and Android in CodeTwo Admin Panel (see where to find this setting).

Fig. 9. An example of a notification shown by CodeTwo's add-in in Outlook for Android.

Change CodeTwo Outlook (client-side) signatures to match the email address in the From field (not available in cloud mode)

The Change CodeTwo Outlook (client-side) signatures to match the email address in the From field (instead of the default address) setting in CodeTwo Admin Panel (see where to find this setting) lets you specify how the add-in works when end user sends an email as / on behalf of another person or shared mailbox or from an alias address. Watch our quick video below or read on to learn how this works.

With this setting enabled, the add-in automatically updates the signature in Outlook when the sender (email address) in the email’s From field changes (see Fig. 10.A). The end user can then insert a new signature into their email by clicking Use this signature in the add-in's pane. Examples:

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

With this setting disabled (the default setting), user X always gets their own signature in Outlook, even if they change the address in the From field. This setting is useful when end users want to keep their own signature when sending emails from, e.g., shared or group mailboxes. 

Note that in Outlook for iOS and Android, changing the sender in the From field will remove a signature from an email. This is a limitation of Outlook mobile apps and is not related to CodeTwo's add-in. 

Fig. 10. The add-in can show signatures set for either the account selected in the From field (A) or for the original sender only (B).

Allow users to switch between CodeTwo cloud (server-side) and Outlook (client-side) signatures in Outlook (available in combo mode only)

When CodeTwo Email Signatures 365 operates in combo signature mode, the add-in works the same way as in the Outlook signature mode – it automatically adds signatures to emails in Outlook. However, the add-in can also be used to preview CodeTwo cloud signatures.

Turn on Allow users to switch between CodeTwo cloud (server-side) and Outlook (client-side) signatures in Outlook in CodeTwo Admin Panel (see where to find this setting) to enable a toggle button in the add-in's pane (Fig. 11.). This button allows your end users to choose how they want their signatures to be added. Watch our quick video below or read on to learn how this works.

End users can use the toggle to switch between:

• Outlook (client-side) signatures – added directly in Outlook as you compose an email. End users can also use the add-in pane to manually select a different email signature. Learn more
• Cloud (server-side) signatures – added in the cloud after an email is sent. The add-in pane will show a preview of end user's signature(s). Learn more

Fig. 11. The toggle button allows users to switch between cloud (server-side) and Outlook (client-side) signatures.

With this advanced setting disabled, the add-in will always add Outlook signatures. Be sure to enable it if you want users with cloud email signatures to be able preview them when CodeTwo Email Signatures 365 works in combo mode.

Add-in FAQ

1. Can users still get cloud (server-side) signatures for emails sent from Outlook clients on which the add-in has been deployed?
2. Can users install the add-in by themselves?
3. Can I use the add-in on virtualized environments such as Windows Virtual Desktop (WVD) and Microsoft Azure or Terminal Server (RDS)?
4. What user/organization data is accessed by the add-in and for what purposes?
5. Signatures are not being added automatically to emails. Why?
6. Add-in is missing or not working in Outlook. How to fix it?
7. How to add/remove add-in users?
8. "CodeTwo Signatures" is shown on the Integrated apps page in Microsoft 365. What is this add-in?
9. I’ve already deployed the add-in by using the manifest file. Do I need to redeploy it for my Microsoft 365 tenant from Microsoft AppSource?
10. Why can't I edit the add-in on the Integrated apps page in Microsoft 365?
11. Why can't I see the add-in deployed by another admin on the Integrated apps page? 
12. I use CodeTwo's deprecated COM Add-in. How to switch to the modern Web Add-in?
13. Does the add-in work with shared mailboxes?
14. I got the "Deployment failed" error in the Microsoft 365 admin center. How to fix it?
15. Where can I check which version of the add-in is deployed in my tenant?
16. A CodeTwo signature is not added to emails in Outlook mobile. Why?
17. How to remove the add-in?

1. Can users still get cloud (server-side) signatures for emails sent from Outlook clients on which the 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 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 add-in by themselves?

Yes and no. Since the 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 Add Apps option in Outlook desktop or OWA.

The 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 add-in and its features, it needs to be deployed centrally, by following these steps. Once you deploy the add-in directly from the Microsoft 365 admin center, it will automatically overwrite the same add-in that has been individually installed by your users.

3. Can I use the add-in on virtualized environments such as Windows Virtual Desktop (WVD) and Microsoft Azure or Terminal Server (RDS)?

Yes, CodeTwo Signatures 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 popular modern web 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 add-in and for what purposes?

CodeTwo Signatures Add-in for Outlook 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 add-in requirements) or you have installed the add-in manually from the AppSource or Outlook (see also this question above).

6. 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 add-in users?

There are two methods that you can use to add or remove add-in users:

1. (Recommended) If you deploy the add-in to a specific group of users, all members of this group will get the add-in. If you want to allow or deny access to the 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.
2. Go to the Integrated apps page in the Microsoft 365 admin center, select CodeTwo Signatures Add-in for Outlook and then click Edit users, as shown in Fig. 12. Next, continue as described in this step of the add-in deployment guide.

Fig. 12. Editing the add-in users directly from the Integrated apps page.

In either case, it can take up to 24 hours for the 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 Add-in for Outlook. If you see this name instead of CodeTwo Signatures Add-in for Outlook, it means you deployed the add-in by providing a link to its manifest file (instead of deploying the add-in by following these steps).

See also point 9. below for more info.

9. I’ve already deployed the 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 add-in. Currently, the only supported method of deployment is though Microsoft AppSource.

To make sure the add-in works as intended in your organization, remove the add-in from your Microsoft 365 tenant and deploy it again by following these steps.

10. Why can't I see the add-in on the Integrated apps page in Microsoft 365?

Only Microsoft 365 global admins can access and edit apps deployed by other admins.

11. Why can't I see the add-in deployed by another admin on the Integrated apps page?

Sometimes, there's a lag in the Microsoft 365 admin center. If the 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. 12.) for the Web Add-in to appear. Note that you might need to refresh the apps list several times for this to work.

12. I use CodeTwo's deprecated COM Add-in. How to switch to the modern Web Add-in?

If you have already deployed the deprecated 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. 

See this article to learn how to make the switch

13. Does the add-in work with shared mailboxes?

The CodeTwo Signatures Add-in works with shared mailboxes in Outlook desktop apps & OWA but might not provide full support. This is because shared mailboxes are not yet officially supported on the Microsoft's Office Add-in platform.

Shared mailboxes are not yet supported by the add-in in Outlook mobile apps due to limitations of the Outlook API. See this article to learn how to work around this limitation.

14. I got the "Deployment failed" error in the Microsoft 365 admin center. How to fix it?

This error is not related to CodeTwo, as Microsoft handles the deployment process for your Microsoft 365 tenant (we only provide the Web Add-in through AppSource). The issue is usually caused by Microsoft 365 services being unavailable. You can try deploying the add-in again later or reach out to Microsoft Support for assistance with the deployment issue.

Microsoft has also confirmed that you might encounter problems when deploying the add-in to security groups synced from on-premises Exchange, particularly those with over 100 members. If that's the case in your scenario, try creating groups with fewer users, or use different types of groups during the deployment. Microsoft is aware of this issue and is actively working on a fix. 

15. Where can I check which version of the add-in is deployed in my tenant?

Sign in to the Microsoft 365 admin center by using this link. This will automatically open the Add-ins page. Select CodeTwo Signatures Add-in for Outlook, and you will find the add-in's version number in the pane that opens (see Fig. 13.).

Fig. 13. Finding the version number of the CodeTwo Outlook Add-in.

16. A CodeTwo signature is not added to emails in Outlook mobile. Why?

To find an answer for this and other questions about using the add-in with Outlook for iOS & Android, see this FAQ.

17. How to remove the add-in?

See this article.

18. How to...

For more information about the CodeTwo Signatures Add-in for Outlook, see the Signature modes FAQ.

See also

CodeTwo Signatures Add-in for Outlook - instructions for end users on how to use the add-in.