What mistakes do companies make when designing e-mail signatures?
January 23, 2026
In this article, we show you the most common mistakes in designing e-mail signatures, explain why they are a problem, and suggest how to correct them so that a professional e-mail signature truly supports communication and branding.
Why are mistakes in e-mail signatures costly?
An e-mail signature is a micro-carrier of your brand. If it is poorly designed, it:
- reduces the sender's credibility,
- hinders contact,
- distracts the recipient,
- spoils the consistency of visual identification,
- wastes marketing potential.
Importantly, these mistakes scale up – the more employees and emails, the greater their impact.
The 5 most common mistakes in e-mail signature design
1. Lack of consistency across the organization
This is one of the most common and visible problems. In one company:
- each employee has a different e-mail signature layout,
- different colors, fonts, and logos,
- different versions of legal clauses,
- different phone number formats.
For the recipient, this means chaos and a lack of professionalism.
How to fix it?
The basis is centralized creation of e-mail signatures based on a single HTML e-mail signature template that automatically fills in the user's data. This ensures that every signature looks the same, with differences resulting solely from roles or departments.
2. Too much information in the signature
Companies often try to “cram everything in”:
- full address,
- several phone numbers,
- links to all social media,
- long clauses,
- marketing slogans,
- banners without context.
The result? The e-mail signature is long, difficult to scan, and ignored.
How to improve it?
A professional e-mail signature should:
- have a clear hierarchy of information,
- contain only the data needed by the recipient,
- clearly lead to one action (e.g., contact, meeting, website).
Fewer elements = greater effectiveness.
3. Readability and formatting issues
A common mistake is designing an e-mail signature “by eye” without testing:
- font size too small,
- low contrast,
- text as an image,
- spacing issues in Outlook,
- no support for dark mode.
Such an e-mail signature looks good only to the author, but may be illegible or distorted to the recipient.
How to fix it?
Use:
- safe fonts,
- appropriate contrasts,
- HTML-based layout, not images,
- testing in Gmail and Outlook.
A good HTML signature generator eliminates most of these problems at the design stage.
4. Manual signature management by employees
Manually copying signatures is a surefire way to end up with:
- errors,
- outdated data,
- old logos,
- missing clauses.
In addition, every change (e.g., a new campaign, phone number, position) generates organizational chaos.
How to improve this?
Automatic email signatures, managed centrally, solve this problem:
- data updates itself,
- employees don't edit anything manually,
- the administrator has full control.
This saves a lot of time for IT, HR, and marketing.
5. Lack of a business purpose for the signature
Many e-mail signatures end with “contact details.” This is a wasted opportunity. A signature can:
- direct to an offer,
- promote an event,
- support recruitment,
- build an expert brand.
If the e-mail signature has no purpose, it serves only an informational function.
How to improve it?
Add:
- one well-matched CTA,
- a link to valuable content,
- a campaign banner (rotated seasonally).
A well-designed e-mail signature acts as a mini landing page.
What elements in the e-mail signature can discourage the recipient?
It is also worth avoiding:
- flashy colors that are inconsistent with the brand,
- several CTAs at once,
- outdated links,
- excessively long quotes or slogans,
- heavy graphics.
Each of these elements reduces the readability and professionalism of communication.
How to improve email signatures in practice?
If you want to improve e-mail signatures in your company:
- Define a single standard for e-mail signatures.
- Base it on consistent branding.
- Use dynamic variables instead of manual editing.
- Separate internal and external signatures.
- Test the appearance in different email clients.
- Treat the e-mail signature as part of your communication strategy, not just an add-on.
This approach allows you to turn ineffective e-mail signatures into real support for your image and business processes.
The e-mail signature as an element that works every day
Errors in the design of e-mail signatures are rarely spectacular – but their effect is long-lasting. Every email with a chaotic e-mail signature is a missed opportunity to make a professional impression.
A well-designed e-mail signature:
- organizes communication,
- strengthens the brand,
- facilitates contact,
- and scales with the company.
What does the e-mail signature in your organization look like – does it support your image or rather weaken it?