How to add your digital business card to your email signature

How to add your digital business card to your email signature — Online Business Cards

By Online Business Cards Editorial Team | Published | Updated | Sharing your card

Your email signature is the place your contact details are seen most often. Here is how to add your digital business card link in Gmail, Outlook and Apple Mail.

If you send a few emails a day, your signature is seen more often than any business card you have ever handed out. Adding your digital business card link to it means every person you email can save your details, see what you do and book time with you — without you lifting a finger.

What to put in the signature

Keep it short. A good signature has four lines at most:

  • Your name
  • Your role and organisation
  • One phone number
  • A link: View my digital business card

Use descriptive link text rather than pasting the raw web address. "View my digital business card" tells people what they will get, reads properly to screen-reader users, and looks tidier than a long URL.

Gmail (on the web)

  1. Click the Settings gear at the top right, then See all settings.
  2. On the General tab, scroll to Signature and click Create new.
  3. Give the signature a name, then type your details.
  4. Select the words "View my digital business card", click the link icon, paste your profile link and click OK.
  5. Choose the signature as the default for new emails and replies.
  6. Scroll to the bottom and click Save Changes.

Outlook

New Outlook for Windows and Outlook on the web: open Settings, choose Accounts, then Signatures. Create a new signature, add your text, select the link text, use the link button to add your profile link, and save. Then set it as the default for new messages and replies. Classic Outlook for Windows: go to File, then Options, then Mail, and click Signatures. Create a new signature, add your text and use the hyperlink button to add your profile link. Choose which account and message types use it, then click OK.

Apple Mail

On a Mac: open Mail, choose Mail in the menu bar, then Settings (called Preferences on older versions of macOS), and open the Signatures tab. Select your account, click the + button, type your signature and add your link. On iPhone or iPad: open the Settings app, go to Mail (on recent versions, Apps then Mail), and tap Signature. Type your details and paste your profile link. The link appears as the full web address on iPhone, so keep the surrounding text short.

Should I add a QR code image?

You can, but treat it as an extra rather than the main way in:

  • Many email programs block images until the reader allows them, so a signature that relies on an image can look empty.
  • People reading on a phone cannot scan a QR code on their own screen. The text link is what they will use.
  • If you add an image, keep it small, give it alt text such as "QR code for my digital business card", and keep the text link as well.

Tips that make a difference

  • Use the same link everywhere. Your signature, QR code and social bios should all open the same profile, so one update changes them all.
  • Avoid long banners. Large images and promotional banners make replies hard to read and can trip spam filters.
  • Send a test. Email yourself and a colleague on a different program and phone, and click the link to check it opens your profile.

Text link or QR code image in your signature?

Text link | QR code image

Works when images are blocked | Yes | No

Easy to tap on a phone | Yes | No, people cannot scan their own screen

Useful when the email is printed | No | Yes

Adds file size to every email | No | Yes, a little

For most people a text link is enough. Add a small QR code only if your emails are often printed.

Read next: Six ways to share a digital business card, and when each one works best and What to put on a digital business card. You can also browse all our guides, or see how an online business card works.

Frequently asked questions

Will the link in my email signature stay up to date?

Yes. The link points to your profile, so when you change your details, everyone who clicks it — including people reading old emails — sees the latest version.

Can I add my digital business card to a shared or company signature?

Usually, yes. Each person needs their own profile link in their signature. If your IT team manages signatures centrally, ask them to add a field for each person's profile link.

Why is my signature link not clickable?

Some programs only turn text into a link if you use the link button rather than pasting the web address. Delete the line, type the link text again, select it and use the link or hyperlink button.

Does a link in my signature affect email delivery?

A single link to your own profile is normal and widely used. What causes problems is lots of links, very large images or links to unfamiliar shortening services.

Will a link in my email signature look like spam?

Not if it is one clearly labelled link to your own card. Long lists of links and large images are more likely to look cluttered or be blocked.