How to Add Social Media Icons to Your Outlook Email Signature

Complete guide for adding professional social icons to Microsoft Outlook signatures - works with Outlook 365, 2019, 2016, and Outlook.com

⚡ Quick Tip: The fastest way to add social icons to your Outlook signature is using our free email signature maker. It generates Outlook-compatible HTML in seconds!
Outlook Version HTML Support Icon Support Best Method
Outlook 365 ✅ Full ✅ Excellent HTML Editor
Outlook 2019/2016 ✅ Full ✅ Good Signature Editor
Outlook.com (Web) ✅ Full ✅ Good Rich Text Editor
Outlook Mobile ⚠️ Limited ✅ Basic Sync from Desktop

Choose Your Outlook Version

Select your Outlook version below for specific instructions:

Adding Social Icons to Outlook 365

1Create Your Signature with Social Icons

First, use the NiftyButtons Email Signature Maker to create your signature:

  • Enter your name, title, and contact information
  • Select your social media platforms
  • Choose icon style and size (24px recommended for Outlook)
  • Click "Generate Signature"

2Open Outlook Signature Settings

In Outlook 365:

  1. Click File → Options
  2. Select Mail from the left sidebar
  3. Click Signatures... button

Alternatively, you can click New Email → Signature → Signatures...

3Create New Signature

  1. Click New and name your signature
  2. In the signature editor, click where you want to add your signature
  3. Copy the HTML from NiftyButtons (Ctrl+C or Cmd+C)
  4. Paste into the signature editor (Ctrl+V or Cmd+V)

4Set as Default Signature

Under "Choose default signature":

  • Select your email account
  • Set "New messages" to your new signature
  • Set "Replies/forwards" to your signature (optional)
  • Click OK to save
⚠️ Important: If icons don't appear immediately, send a test email to yourself. Outlook may need to download the images first.

Adding Social Icons to Outlook 2019/2016

1Generate Your Signature

Create your signature with social icons using our free tool:

  • Design your signature with your preferred social icons
  • Select "Outlook Compatible" format
  • Copy the generated HTML code

2Access Signature Settings

Navigate to signatures in Outlook 2019/2016:

  1. Open Outlook and click File
  2. Select Options
  3. Click Mail in the left panel
  4. Click Signatures...

3Add HTML Signature

For best results with social icons:

  1. Create a new signature
  2. Paste your NiftyButtons signature
  3. Verify all icons appear correctly
  4. Adjust spacing if needed
💡 Pro Tip: For Outlook 2016, ensure Windows is updated for best HTML rendering support.

Adding Social Icons to Outlook.com (Web Version)

1Create Your Signature

Start by creating your signature at NiftyButtons:

  • Design your signature with social icons
  • Choose web-optimized icon format
  • Copy the HTML signature

2Open Outlook.com Settings

  1. Sign in to Outlook.com
  2. Click the ⚙️ Settings gear icon
  3. Select "View all Outlook settings"
  4. Go to Mail → Compose and reply

3Add Your Signature

  1. In the "Email signature" section, click in the text box
  2. Paste your NiftyButtons signature
  3. Icons should appear automatically
  4. Check "Automatically include my signature on new messages"
  5. Click Save
Note: Outlook.com may resize large images. Use our recommended 24px icon size for best results.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Solution:
  • Ensure icons are hosted on HTTPS (secure) servers
  • Check your organization's image blocking settings
  • Use base64 encoded images for guaranteed display
  • Try our signature maker which handles this automatically

Solution:
  • Use 24-32px icons for optimal display
  • Set explicit width and height in HTML
  • Avoid using CSS for sizing (Outlook ignores most CSS)
  • Test signature by sending to different email clients

Solution:
  • Use table-based layouts for better stability
  • Avoid complex CSS styling
  • Keep signature HTML simple and clean
  • Set different signatures for new messages vs replies

Solution:
  • Ensure each icon is wrapped in an anchor tag
  • Include full URLs (https://...)
  • Test links after adding signature
  • Use NiftyButtons to automatically generate linked icons

Best Practices for Outlook Signatures with Social Icons

✅ Do's
  • Keep signatures under 10 lines
  • Use 3-5 social icons maximum
  • Include only active social profiles
  • Use consistent icon style
  • Test on multiple devices
  • Update links regularly
❌ Don'ts
  • Don't use animated GIFs
  • Avoid JavaScript (won't work)
  • Don't use excessive colors
  • Skip large background images
  • Avoid complex CSS layouts
  • Don't include sensitive info

Create Your Outlook Signature in 60 Seconds!

Stop struggling with HTML code. Our free signature maker creates perfect Outlook-compatible signatures with social icons instantly.

Create Free Signature Now →

Advanced Tips for Power Users

Using Multiple Signatures

Outlook allows multiple signatures for different scenarios:

Create different versions using our tool and switch between them based on context.

HTML Code for Manual Editing

If you prefer to edit HTML directly, here's a basic template:

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
<tr>
<td style="padding-right:10px">
<a href="https://linkedin.com/in/yourprofile">
<img src="https://www.niftybuttons.com/icons/linkedin.png" width="24" height="24" alt="LinkedIn">
</a>
</td>
<td style="padding-right:10px">
<a href="https://twitter.com/yourhandle">
<img src="https://www.niftybuttons.com/icons/twitter.png" width="24" height="24" alt="Twitter">
</a>
</td>
</tr>
</table>

Syncing with Outlook Mobile

To get your signature with social icons on mobile:

  1. Set up signature on desktop Outlook first
  2. Ensure your account syncs with Exchange/Office 365
  3. Open Outlook mobile app
  4. Go to Settings → Signature
  5. Your desktop signature should sync automatically
Note: Some formatting may be simplified on mobile. Icons usually display but may appear smaller.

Related Guides

Gmail Signature Guide

Learn how to add social icons to Gmail signatures.

Read Guide
General Email Signature Guide

Complete guide for all email clients and platforms.

Read Guide