Short answer:
You can assign signatures for shared mailboxes and alias emails in different ways depending on your setup. With the Outlook add-in, you can keep your personal signature, manually select an optional signature, or automatically insert a non-personal shared mailbox signature.
This guide explains the available options for shared mailboxes such as support@, accounting@, and info@, as well as alias email addresses.
We recommend managing shared mailbox signatures with the Outlook add-in. If you use Classic Outlook 2016 or earlier, use the legacy client method instead.
Choose how shared mailbox signatures should work
Use your personal signature
When you change the From field to a shared mailbox, you can keep your personal email signature.
This is the simplest option when users send from a shared mailbox but still want their own name, title, and contact details in the signature.
- Works in New Outlook
- Works in Classic Outlook
- No additional Xink license required
- Works automatically without extra configuration in Xink
Best for: Users who send on behalf of a shared mailbox but should still appear as the sender in the signature.
Manually select an optional signature
You can manually choose one of your optional email signatures when sending from a shared mailbox or alias.
Optional signatures are available to the user but are not assigned automatically as the default New or Reply signature.
This option is useful when users sometimes need a different signature, but not for every email.
Note: If you enabled refresh, select the optional signature last before sending the email. Otherwise, the signature automation may replace it.
Best for: Users who need flexibility and want to choose the correct signature manually for each message.
Automatically insert a non-personal shared mailbox signature
You can automatically assign a non-personal signature when the user changes the From field to a shared mailbox.
In this setup, the signature belongs to the shared mailbox, not to the individual sender.
Tip: Use the Xink API to manage shared mailbox membership dynamically.
- Works in New Outlook
- Works in Web Outlook
- Works in Classic Outlook
- Compatible with AppSource and manifest versions 4.0.15 / 4.0.1+
- Requires an Xink license for each shared mailbox because it must be added as an employee
- Requires additional configuration in Xink
Outlook for Mac
This feature is not supported in Outlook for Mac.
How to configure a non-personal shared mailbox signature
- Go to the Xink Portal and open the Employees menu.
- Add the shared mailbox as an employee in Xink if it does not already exist.
- Share the signature of the shared mailbox with the user who sends on its behalf.
- Compose an email in Outlook and change the From field to the shared mailbox address.
- The correct shared mailbox signature is inserted automatically into the email body.
Best for: Shared mailboxes that need a consistent department or role-based signature, regardless of which user sends the email.
Use alias email addresses
A user can have multiple email aliases that all deliver to the same primary inbox.
Example: john.doe@company.com may also receive mail as j.doe@company.com or john@company.com.
To support this setup, add each alias or shared mailbox as an employee in Xink and share the correct signature with the intended users.
Each alias or shared mailbox requires an Xink license.
Best for: Users who send from more than one branded address and need a different signature for each sender identity.
Which option should I choose?
- Personal: Keep the sender's personal signature when sending from the shared mailbox.
- Optional: Let the sender choose a shared mailbox signature manually.
- Non-personal: Automatically insert a shared mailbox signature tied to the mailbox itself.
- Alias: Use separate licensed employee records for alias addresses that need their own signatures.
Common questions
Do shared mailboxes require an Xink license?
Only if the shared mailbox or alias must exist as its own employee in Xink with its own signature.
Can I use this on Outlook for Mac?
Automatic non-personal shared mailbox signatures are not supported in Outlook for Mac.
What happens if I use refresh together with optional signatures?
Select the optional signature last before sending. Otherwise, the refresh feature may replace it.
This guide explains how to assign signatures.
For Outlook-specific limitations with shared mailboxes, read "Why shared mailboxes and Outlook signatures behave differently".
