Creating Outlook email signature templates | HTM, RTF, TXT
Outlook signature templates can be created in the following formats: HTM format is required, but RTF and TXT formats are optional.
HTM format (Outlook Classic, Outlook On The Web and Outlook New) |
RTF format (Outlook Classic only) |
TXT format (Outlook Classic, Outlook On The Web and Outlook New) |
We have developed a PowerShell script designed to automate the majority of the work involved in generating email‑signature templates in all required formats. Below is a brief explanation of what the script aims to accomplish.
Let’s start by listing out the message types used by Microsoft Outlook Classic, Outlook Web, and Outlook New.
- New message signature
- Reply message signature
- Web message signature
New message signature template
A new message signature is applied when composing a message in the Outlook Classic client. This signature must include the wpsecure_new.htm file, while the wpsecure_new.txt and wpsecure_new.rtf files may be included optionally.
Microsoft Word is a highly effective tool for creating Outlook signatures in HTM format because it embeds images using VML, ensuring they display correctly across Outlook clients. When the HTM file is created using Microsoft Word, any images referenced within it are automatically saved in a folder named wpsecure_new_files. If this folder is present, it is automatically included as part of the signature package.
Reply message signature template
A reply message signature is applied when responding to a message in the Outlook Classic client. This signature must include the wpsecure_reply.htm file, with the wpsecure_reply.txt and wpsecure_reply.rtf files included optionally.
Just like the new message signature, Microsoft Word is an effective tool for creating reply signature HTM files. It embeds images using VML, ensuring compatibility across Outlook clients. When the HTM file is created in Microsoft Word, any referenced images are automatically stored in a folder named wpsecure_reply_files. If this folder is present, it is included as part of the signature package.
Web message signature template
A web message signature is used by Outlook on the Web and Outlook New. This signature must include the wpsecure_web.htm file and may optionally include the wpsecure_web.txt file.
All images referenced in the web signature must use HTTPS-based URLs. Local image files are not supported and will not display in Outlook on the Web or Outlook New.
In both Outlook on the Web and Outlook New, this signature is applied when composing a new message as well as when composing a reply.
Note: Make sure Microsoft Word is fully functional on the device. Microsoft Word is both required for creating the templates and for use by the PowerShell script.
Step 1: Create the following folder structure
Create a new directory. Call it what you please. Under the newly created directory, create two folders, “signatures” and “templates“.
Step 2: Create a reference file
Create a --- A delimited text file that contains a list of ‘placeholder’ values and an ‘easy‑to‑identify-and-replace’ identifier for each one. These placeholders will be used within your email templates. The image below illustrates the structure we are aiming to achieve.
The images above show the placeholder values on the left and identifiers such as 1111111111 and 2222222222 on the right. The reason for this approach is simple: identifiers like these are extremely easy to search for and replace because they are unique, contain no special characters, and are unlikely to appear accidentally in normal text. This makes them ideal for automated or bulk‑replacement operations. Save this file as “reference.txt” in the root of the above-created directory.
Step 3: Create Microsoft Word templates
Next, create three Microsoft Word templates and save them into the ‘templates‘ subfolder using the following filenames:
- wpsecure_new.docx – for the New message signature
- wpsecure_reply.docx – for the Reply message signature
- wpsecure_web.docx – for the Web message signature
Use identifiers such as 1111111111 and 2222222222 to represent user attributes like displayName, mobilePhone, companyName, etc. When possible, copy and paste the identifiers directly from the reference.txt file instead of typing them manually into the Microsoft Word documents.
For this demonstration, we are using the same template for all use cases. However, your organization may choose to use different templates for New, Reply, and Web message scenarios.
Listed below are several guidelines that will help ensure the rest of the creation process goes smoothly. We recommend following these guidelines for the best results.
Always insert images from your local computer into the Word document when creating New and Reply message signatures. This ensures Microsoft Word embeds the images using VML (Vector Markup Language), which is required for proper rendering in Outlook Classic.
Use the same approach for Web message signatures, inserting images locally during template creation.
After the HTM file is generated, open the HTM file and replace the local image paths with HTTPS‑based URLs that point to online image resources. Outlook on the Web and Outlook New do not support local image references.For separator lines, always use image files, not Microsoft Word’s built‑in shapes, dividers, or drawing tools.
Insert the separator line as an image for all signature types.
After the HTM file is created:- New and Reply signatures keep the embedded local image.
- Web signatures require replacing the local image reference with an online HTTPS image URL (as described above).
Step 4: Setup Powershell script.
Create a PowerShell script called ‘wpsecure_export_to_signatures.ps1‘ in the root of the folder and copy and paste the below script content into the newly created script.
<#
wpsecure_export_to_signatures.ps1
PURPOSE
-------
1) Validate folder structure that sits next to this script.
2) Export specific 'wpsecure_*.docx' files found in .\templates\ directly into .\signatures\
using Microsoft Word COM automation:
- wpsecure_new.docx, wpsecure_reply.docx → RTF, Web Page (.htm), Plain Text (.txt)
- wpsecure_web.docx → Web Page, Filtered (.htm), Plain Text (.txt)
3) Perform text replacements in the saved output files based on reference.txt mappings.
(This script writes replacements back to the files in .\signatures\)
EXPECTED LAYOUT (script runs from the parent folder)
---------------------------------------------------
.\
wpsecure_export_to_signatures.ps1 ← THIS script
reference.txt ← contains --- delimited key-value pairs
templates\ ← contains the .docx templates
signatures\ ← destination for saved outputs
RUN
---
Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope Process -ExecutionPolicy Bypass
.\wpsecure_export_to_signatures.ps1 -Verbose
#>
# =================================================================================================
# REGION: Logging Helpers (Colourful console messages)
# =================================================================================================
function Write-Info { param([Parameter(Mandatory)][string]$Message) Write-Host "[INFO ] $Message" -ForegroundColor Cyan }
function Write-Ok { param([Parameter(Mandatory)][string]$Message) Write-Host "[ OK ] $Message" -ForegroundColor Green }
function Write-WarnMsg { param([Parameter(Mandatory)][string]$Message) Write-Host "[WARN ] $Message" -ForegroundColor Yellow }
function Write-ErrMsg { param([Parameter(Mandatory)][string]$Message) Write-Host "[ERROR] $Message" -ForegroundColor Red }
# =================================================================================================
# REGION: Word Constants (File format & misc codes)
# =================================================================================================
# SaveAs formats (Word)
$wdFormatRTF = 6 # RTF
$wdFormatHTML = 8 # Web Page (.htm)
$wdFormatText = 2 # Plain Text (.txt)
$wdFormatFiltered = 10 # Web Page, Filtered (.htm)
# Misc
$wdAlertsNone = 0 # Suppress Word UI prompts
# =================================================================================================
# REGION: Helper Functions (paths, folders, COM lifecycle, input normalization)
# =================================================================================================
function Get-BaseDir {
<#
Returns the base folder from which this script is running.
Works for both interactive invocation and right-click "Run with PowerShell".
#>
if ($PSCommandPath) {
return (Split-Path -Parent $PSCommandPath)
}
elseif ($MyInvocation.MyCommand.Path) {
return (Split-Path -Parent $MyInvocation.MyCommand.Path)
}
else {
return (Get-Location).Path
}
}
function Ensure-EmptyFolder {
<#
Ensures the given folder exists and is empty.
If it exists, clears all items (recursively).
If it doesn't, creates it.
#>
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory)][string]$Path
)
if (-not (Test-Path -LiteralPath $Path)) {
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $Path | Out-Null
return
}
$items = Get-ChildItem -LiteralPath $Path -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
if ($items -and $items.Count -gt 0) {
Write-Verbose "Clearing folder: $Path"
Get-ChildItem -LiteralPath $Path -Force | Remove-Item -Recurse -Force -ErrorAction Stop
}
}
function Get-WordApp {
<#
Creates & returns a Word.Application COM object (hidden, alerts suppressed).
Throws a friendly error if Word isn't installed/accessible.
#>
try {
$w = New-Object -ComObject Word.Application -ErrorAction Stop
$w.Visible = $false
$w.DisplayAlerts = $wdAlertsNone
return $w
}
catch {
throw "Microsoft Word is not installed or the COM interface is unavailable."
}
}
function Close-WordDoc {
<#
Closes a Word Document COM object (if present) and releases COM.
#>
param($doc)
if ($doc) {
try { $doc.Close([ref]0) } catch {}
try { [void][Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal]::ReleaseComObject($doc) } catch {}
}
}
function Quit-Word {
<#
Quits Word safely and releases COM; forces GC to finalize RCWs.
#>
param($w)
if ($w) {
try { $w.Quit() } catch {}
try { [void][Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal]::ReleaseComObject($w) } catch {}
}
[gc]::Collect()
[gc]::WaitForPendingFinalizers()
}
function Export-DocxToSignatures {
<#
Opens a .docx file read-only and exports it into the signatures folder in
the appropriate formats based on the file name.
- wpsecure_new.docx / wpsecure_reply.docx → RTF, Web Page (.htm), Plain Text (.txt)
- wpsecure_web.docx → Web Page, Filtered (.htm), Plain Text (.txt)
#>
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory)][string]$DocxPath,
[Parameter(Mandatory)][string]$SignaturesFolder
)
$name = [IO.Path]::GetFileName($DocxPath).ToLowerInvariant()
$stem = [IO.Path]::GetFileNameWithoutExtension($DocxPath)
Write-Info "Exporting $name → $SignaturesFolder"
$doc = $null
try {
# Open read-only for safety
$doc = $word.Documents.Open($DocxPath, $false, $true)
if ($name -eq 'wpsecure_new.docx' -or $name -eq 'wpsecure_reply.docx') {
$targets = @(
@{ Path = Join-Path $SignaturesFolder ($stem + '.rtf'); Fmt = $wdFormatRTF; Label = 'RTF' },
@{ Path = Join-Path $SignaturesFolder ($stem + '.htm'); Fmt = $wdFormatHTML; Label = 'Web Page' },
@{ Path = Join-Path $SignaturesFolder ($stem + '.txt'); Fmt = $wdFormatText; Label = 'Plain Text' }
)
}
elseif ($name -eq 'wpsecure_web.docx') {
$targets = @(
@{ Path = Join-Path $SignaturesFolder ($stem + '.htm'); Fmt = $wdFormatFiltered; Label = 'Web Page, Filtered' },
@{ Path = Join-Path $SignaturesFolder ($stem + '.txt'); Fmt = $wdFormatText; Label = 'Plain Text' }
)
}
else {
Write-WarnMsg "Skipping unsupported file name: $name"
return
}
foreach ($t in $targets) {
try {
Write-Verbose "Saving $($t.Label) → $($t.Path)"
$doc.SaveAs([ref]$t.Path, [ref]$t.Fmt)
Write-Ok "Saved $($t.Label)"
}
catch {
Write-ErrMsg "Failed to save $($t.Label) for ${name}: $($_.Exception.Message)"
}
}
}
catch {
Write-ErrMsg "Export error for ${name}: $($_.Exception.Message)"
}
finally {
Close-WordDoc $doc
}
}
function Remove-SurroundingQuotes {
<#
Normalizes smart quotes to straight quotes and trims a single leading/trailing
matching quote pair if present.
#>
param([string]$Text)
if ([string]::IsNullOrWhiteSpace($Text)) { return $Text }
$t = $Text.Trim() `
-replace '^[\u201C\u201D]', '"' `
-replace '[\u201C\u201D]$', '"' `
-replace '^[\u2018\u2019]', "'" `
-replace '[\u2018\u2019]$', "'"
if (
($t.StartsWith('"') -and $t.EndsWith('"')) -or
($t.StartsWith("'") -and $t.EndsWith("'"))
) {
$t = $t.Substring(1, $t.Length - 2)
}
return $t.Trim()
}
function Normalize-Input {
<#
Convenience wrapper that feeds text through Remove-SurroundingQuotes.
#>
param([string]$Text)
Remove-SurroundingQuotes $Text
}
# =================================================================================================
# REGION: Main
# =================================================================================================
try {
Write-Info "Starting wpsecure export (direct to signatures)…"
$base = Get-BaseDir
Write-Verbose "Base directory: $base"
# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
# Validate expected structure next to this script
# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
$refPath = Join-Path $base 'reference.txt' # existence check only (read later)
$templates = Join-Path $base 'templates' # source .docx location
$signatures = Join-Path $base 'signatures' # destination for saved outputs
if (-not (Test-Path -LiteralPath $refPath)) { throw "reference.txt not found at: $refPath" }
if (-not (Test-Path -LiteralPath $templates)) { throw "Missing 'templates' folder at: $templates" }
# Signatures folder must exist and be empty before we save
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force -Path $signatures | Out-Null
Ensure-EmptyFolder -Path $signatures
# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
# Locate DOCX candidates in templates\
# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
$docxNames = @('wpsecure_new.docx','wpsecure_reply.docx','wpsecure_web.docx')
$docxPaths = @()
foreach ($n in $docxNames) {
$p = Join-Path $templates $n
if (Test-Path -LiteralPath $p) { $docxPaths += $p }
}
if ($docxPaths.Count -eq 0) {
throw "No target DOCX files found in templates: $templates"
}
Write-Ok ("Found {0} DOCX file(s) to process." -f $docxPaths.Count)
# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
# Start Word and export directly to signatures
# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Write-Info "Checking Microsoft Word…"
$word = Get-WordApp
Write-Ok "Word is available."
foreach ($docx in $docxPaths) {
Export-DocxToSignatures -DocxPath $docx -SignaturesFolder $signatures
}
# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
# Parse mapping file (reference.txt) to build Search/Replace list
# (Preserves your original behavior: LEFT = replacement, RIGHT = search)
# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Write-Verbose "Reading mapping file: $refPath"
$rawLines = Get-Content -LiteralPath $refPath
$mapping = New-Object System.Collections.Generic.List[object]
foreach ($line in $rawLines) {
$line = $line.Trim()
if (-not $line) { continue }
$parts = $null
if ($line -like '*---*') {
# Preferred delimiter: --- (split on first occurrence)
$parts = $line -split '\s*---\s*', 2
}
else {
# Fallback: split on first whitespace run
$m = [regex]::Match($line, '^(.*\S)\s+(\S.*)$')
if ($m.Success) { $parts = @($m.Groups[1].Value, $m.Groups[2].Value) }
}
if ($parts.Count -eq 2) {
# NOTE: Your original mapping orientation:
# replacement = LEFT, search = RIGHT
$replacement = (Remove-SurroundingQuotes $parts[0]).Trim()
$search = (Remove-SurroundingQuotes $parts[1]).Trim()
if ($replacement -and $search) {
$mapping.Add([pscustomobject]@{
Search = $search
Replace = $replacement
})
}
}
}
if ($mapping.Count -eq 0) {
Write-Warning "No valid mappings found. Nothing to do."
exit
}
# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
# Process only defined output files (in signatures folder)
# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
$targetNames = @(
'wpsecure_new.htm','wpsecure_new.rtf','wpsecure_new.txt',
'wpsecure_reply.htm','wpsecure_reply.rtf','wpsecure_reply.txt',
'wpsecure_web.htm','wpsecure_web.txt'
)
$summary = New-Object System.Collections.Generic.List[object]
foreach ($name in $targetNames) {
$path = Join-Path $signatures $name
if (-not (Test-Path $path)) {
$summary.Add([pscustomobject]@{ File = $name; Status = 'Not found'; Mappings = 0 })
continue
}
# Read the whole file (as text) for replacements
try {
$text = Get-Content -LiteralPath $path -Raw -ErrorAction Stop
}
catch {
Write-Warning ("Failed to read {0}: {1}" -f $name, $_.Exception.Message)
$summary.Add([pscustomobject]@{ File = $name; Status = 'Read error'; Mappings = 0 })
continue
}
if ($null -eq $text) { $text = '' }
$isRtf = $name.ToLower().EndsWith('.rtf')
$count = 0
foreach ($pair in $mapping) {
$search = $pair.Search
$replacement = $pair.Replace
# Escape braces when writing into RTF content to avoid breaking control words
if ($isRtf) {
$replacement = $replacement.Replace('{','\{').Replace('}','\}')
}
if ($text.Contains($search)) {
$text = $text.Replace($search, $replacement)
$count++
}
}
if ($count -gt 0) {
try {
Set-Content -LiteralPath $path -Value $text -NoNewline -Encoding UTF8
$summary.Add([pscustomobject]@{ File = $name; Status = 'Updated'; Mappings = $count })
}
catch {
Write-Warning ("Failed to write {0}: {1}" -f $name, $_.Exception.Message)
$summary.Add([pscustomobject]@{ File = $name; Status = 'Write error'; Mappings = $count })
}
}
else {
$summary.Add([pscustomobject]@{ File = $name; Status = 'No changes'; Mappings = 0 })
}
}
# Nicely formatted summary
$summary |
Sort-Object File |
Format-Table -AutoSize
Write-Ok "Export complete. Files are in: $signatures"
}
catch {
Write-ErrMsg $_.Exception.Message
}
finally {
if ($word) { Quit-Word $word }
}
# =================================================================================================
# END
# =================================================================================================Make sure your folder and file structure look like the image below.
Step 5: Run the PowerShell script
Run the PowerShell script and the output of the script should look similar to the image below.
Step 6: Replace image URL's in Web HTM file
Open the ‘wpsecure_web.htm‘ in the ‘signatures’ folder and replace local references for images and other assets with online references.
Local references are paths that point to images or other assets stored on your computer, such as:
wpsecure_web_files/image001.pngfile:///C:/Users/You/Documents/wpsecure_web_files/image001.png
Online references are URLs that point to images or assets hosted on the internet, such as:
https://yourcompany.com/signatures/image001.png
Step 7: Check TXT template formating
Open ‘wpsecure_new.txt‘, ‘wpsecure_reply.txt‘, and ‘wpsecure_web.txt‘ in the ‘signatures‘ folder and make sure the layout of the test-based signatures is what you want them to be.
Step 8: Check RTF template placeholders
Usually, the HTML and TXT file replacements complete without any issues, but the RTF file may become problematic if edits were not applied correctly. After the script runs, the RTF file may fail to open normally with a Microsoft Word-like visual, instead displaying its underlying formatting tags. Do not panic—this is expected behavior.
Make sure all placeholder values remain intact in the RTF file, exactly as shown in the image below. They must not be split across multiple lines; if they are broken, the replacement process has failed for the RTF files.
Finally
The signatures folder, once the PowerShell script has completed successfully, should resemble the structure shown in the image below.
