Gmail Tips

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Manual Signatures using Canned Responses

Set your signature as a canned response to insert your email signature/footer manually.

As an alternative to adding your signature in Mail Settings>General>Signature, use the Canned Responses lab to insert your signature manually just when you need it. This way, if you send a lot of internal mail, your signature is not always added to annoy colleagues.

If you have the Insert Image lab installed, you can upload an image from your hard drive, which you can't do with Mail Settings>General>Signature.

• Open a new email and insert an image (using the Insert Image button)
• Select My Computer and Choose File to browse to your hard drive. The image you choose will then appear in the box, click OK when you have the image you want.
• To add a link to your signature, drag your cursor to select the image - so it is highlighted in blue. Click the link button and in the field "To which URL should this link refer" paste the url link you want
• Add a Kind Regards, xx above the image if you want to
• Once happy, click on Canned responses and select New canned response - call it "Signature".

Tip Update: In the new Compose, Canned Responses can be found by clicking on the down arrow in the bottom right of the Compose window.

Comments/Feedback

Mark Williams

There do seem to be a few image display problems with Canned Responses. We find that emails sent though do show the image - try a test send and let us know if the image is showing or not. gAppsTips

23 November at 10:49 • Reply to this comment • Edit

Sandy Galland

I too have this issue. My canned response with jpeg image was working just fine...and then it as not working at all. I have re-saved a new canned response and still no joy. Its horribly frustrating. If I insert the image as a picture in every separate email - its fine - but this just is not practical. Are there any other suggestions to making it work?

23 November at 01:21 • Reply to this comment • Edit

Sergio Vazquez II

I am having the same exact problem as Richard. I have also tried completely removing it, closing the browser, clearing the cache and cookies, and re-adding it, and still have the same problem. What just changed?!?!

14 November at 19:49 • Reply to this comment • Edit

Richard Baillie

This has worked for years. Then, suddenly the jpg image I use as the canned response will not display. Instead I get the icon which suggests there is no image. Help please. RB

26 October at 08:07 • Reply to this comment • Edit

Mark Williams Hi Richard, It does seem that on occasion the jpeg does not work - it has happened to us recently. It should sort itself out if you discard the canned response and re-add it. If it doesn't, try adding the image again and re-saving the canned response. gAppsTips

26 October at 08:24 • Edit

Sara Contente

The canned response does not insert at the position of the cursor, but always at the top of the message. This puts the signature above the text of the message. Is there a way around this?

08 May at 21:28 • Reply to this comment • Edit

Mark Williams This is very strange behaviour you are describing. The canned response should be inserted where your cursor is - we use canned responses every day and have not experienced the issue you describe. I can only suggest that you start a new canned response - try using just text - and see if that fixes the problem you are having.

09 May at 09:23 • Edit