---
title: "Disable existing Microsoft Outlook signatures using a Group Policy (GPO)"
slug: "disable-existing-microsoft-outlook-signatures-using-a-group-policy-gpo"
description: "Stop previous Outlook signatures from appearing alongside Opensense: create a Group Policy Object (GPO) that disables signatures in Outlook 2013 and 2016."
updated: 2024-01-16T22:13:20.000Z
canonical: "https://help.opensense.com/docs/disable-existing-microsoft-outlook-signatures-using-a-group-policy-gpo"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.opensense.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Disable existing Microsoft Outlook signatures using a Group Policy (GPO)

## Overview

You configured the Opensense email signature for Office 365, but some team members still have their previous Microsoft Outlook signatures applied. You can remove Outlook signatures from individual users. To disable them for all users, so that old signatures are not added to future emails, use a Group Policy Object (GPO).

:::note[Before you start]
- Group Policy
- Devices that are domain-joined (on-premises), with users signed in with their domain user account
:::


## Steps at a glance

1. [Download and extract the Office Administrative Template](#links_to_download_office_administration_template) for the Outlook version your company uses. If your company uses more than one Outlook version, download a template for each version.
2. Select **Start** > **Administrative Tools** > **Group Policy Management** to open the Group Policy Management Console.
3. [Create a new GPO](#create-a-new-group-policy-gpo) in the required domain.
4. [Enable the setting](#microsoft-outlook-2013-and-2016) for each Outlook version in your environment.


## Downloading the Office Administrative Template

Download the template for each Office version you use:

| Office version | Download |
| --- | --- |
| 2013 | [Office 2013 Administrative Template files (ADMX/ADML) and Office Customization Tool](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=35554) |
| 2016, 2019, Office 365 ProPlus | [Administrative Template files (ADMX/ADML) and Office Customization Tool for Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise, Office 2019, and Office 2016](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=49030) |


## Creating the GPO

1. In the Group Policy Management Console, select the domain. Open the **Action** menu, or right-click the domain, and select **Create a GPO in this domain, and Link it here...**
2. In the **New GPO** window, enter a name for the GPO, and click **OK**.
3. Right-click the new GPO, and click **Edit**.
4. Expand **User Configuration** > **Policies** > **Administrative Templates**, and select **Administrative Templates**.
5. Select **Action** > **Add / Remove Templates...**
6. Select **Add**, go to the folder where you extracted the Outlook templates, and select the file for your Outlook version: `outlk15.adm` for Outlook 2013, or `outlk16.adm` for Outlook 2016, 2019, and Office 365 ProPlus.
7. Select **Close**.

<div class="kb-media-carousel" data-kb-media-carousel aria-label="Steps to create the GPO">
  <div class="kb-media-carousel__viewport">
    <figure class="kb-media-frame"><div class="kb-media-frame__visual"><img src="https://help.opensense.com/media/disableoutlookgpo1-e3b12677af80.png" alt="Group Policy Management Console with the domain's menu open and Create a GPO in this domain, and Link it here highlighted" width="941" height="603" loading="lazy" decoding="async"></div><figcaption><strong>Create the GPO</strong> · In the domain's menu</figcaption></figure>
    <figure class="kb-media-frame"><div class="kb-media-frame__visual"><img src="https://help.opensense.com/media/disableoutlookgpo2-2d709fdf780e.png" alt="New GPO window with the name New GPO for Outlook and the OK button" width="386" height="180" loading="lazy" decoding="async"></div><figcaption><strong>Name the GPO</strong> · Then OK</figcaption></figure>
    <figure class="kb-media-frame"><div class="kb-media-frame__visual"><img src="https://help.opensense.com/media/disableoutlookgpo3-d22fcd29de0b.png" alt="Group Policy Management Editor with User Configuration, Policies, and Administrative Templates selected" width="786" height="564" loading="lazy" decoding="async"></div><figcaption><strong>Administrative Templates</strong> · Under User Configuration &gt; Policies</figcaption></figure>
  </div>
</div>

:::note[ADMX and ADML files]
Copy `outlkxx.admx` to `C:\Windows\PolicyDefinitions`, and `outlkxx.adml` to the language folder, for example `C:\Windows\PolicyDefinitions\en-US`. Here `xx` is 15 for Outlook 2013 and 16 for Outlook 2016.
:::


## Enabling the setting for Outlook 2013 and 2016

1. Go to **Microsoft Outlook 2013** (or **Microsoft Outlook 2016**) > **Outlook Options** > **Mail Format**.
2. On the right, enable **Do not allow signatures for e-mail messages**. This disables signatures in Outlook 2013 (or Outlook 2016).

![Group Policy Management Editor with Mail Format selected and the Do not allow signatures for e-mail messages setting enabled](https://help.opensense.com/media/disableoutlookgpo4-75c6f9a06463.png)

:::caution[Existing signature files stay on computers]
The setting disables the signature options and prevents users from adding Outlook signatures. The existing signature file stays on the client computers, and must be deleted manually.
:::

## What's next

- [Disable email signatures in Outlook for Windows using Intune](https://help.opensense.com/docs/how-to-disable-email-signatures-in-outlook-for-windows-using-intune): disable Outlook signatures with Intune instead.
- [How does Opensense work with Microsoft 365?](https://help.opensense.com/docs/how-does-opensense-work-with-office-365): how Opensense applies signatures in Microsoft 365.