---
title: "Using GIFs in email signatures"
slug: "working-with-gifs-in-email-signatures"
description: "Add animated GIF logos and banners to Opensense signatures, keep them under 500 KB, and turn on GIF animations in Outlook when they don't play."
updated: 2026-10-14T00:00:00.000Z
canonical: "https://help.opensense.com/docs/working-with-gifs-in-email-signatures"
---

> ## 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.

# Using GIFs in email signatures

## Overview

You can use animated GIFs in Opensense email signatures, for logos and for banners. These answers cover creating, sizing, and troubleshooting them.

## GIF questions

<div class="kb-faq">
  <details id="can-i-add-a-gifanimated-logo-or-banner">
    <summary><span class="kb-faq__question">Can I add a GIF or animated logo or banner?</span></summary>
    <div class="kb-faq__answer">
      <p>Yes. A GIF file can be used the same way as an image file in your email signatures. Banners can be animated GIF files too.</p>
    </div>
  </details>
  <details id="can-opensense-create-my-gif">
    <summary><span class="kb-faq__question">Can Opensense create my GIF?</span></summary>
    <div class="kb-faq__answer">
      <p>The Opensense Design team can add effects to static images, for example a twinkle or a bouncing arrow (this may incur an hourly design fee). For a more complex animated GIF, your team needs to have it created by someone who provides GIF creation services. Very complex GIFs may need video animation.</p>
    </div>
  </details>
  <details id="what-should-the-file-size-be">
    <summary><span class="kb-faq__question">What should the file size be?</span></summary>
    <div class="kb-faq__answer">
      <p>The final file should be less than 500 KB, and meet 1x retina standards. The smaller it is, the better.</p>
    </div>
  </details>
  <details id="is-there-anything-else-i-should-know">
    <summary><span class="kb-faq__question">Is there anything else I should know?</span></summary>
    <div class="kb-faq__answer">
      <p>If you use Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365), you must mark the image <a href="https://help.opensense.com/docs/how-to-set-up-inline-images">inline</a>.</p>
    </div>
  </details>
  <details id="i-have-a-gif-how-can-i-resize-it">
    <summary><span class="kb-faq__question">I have a GIF. How can I resize it?</span></summary>
    <div class="kb-faq__answer">
      <p>If you don't have access to Photoshop, use an online converter to resize GIFs. We recommend this <a href="https://ezgif.com/resize">online converter</a>.</p>
    </div>
  </details>
  <details id="my-signature-has-a-gif-that-is-not-working-on-outlook">
    <summary><span class="kb-faq__question">My signature has a GIF that isn't working in Outlook</span></summary>
    <div class="kb-faq__answer">
      <p>If other users on your domain have the same issue, a domain security setting may be restricting the animation.</p>
      <p>If only the first frame of the GIF appears, animations are turned off. How you turn them on depends on your version of Outlook and Windows:</p>
      <ul>
        <li><strong>Outlook for Microsoft 365, version 2008 or later, on Windows 11:</strong> press Windows + I to open <strong>Settings</strong>, select <strong>Accessibility</strong> &gt; <strong>Visual effects</strong>, and turn on <strong>Animation effects</strong>.</li>
        <li><strong>Outlook for Microsoft 365, version 2008 or later, on Windows 10:</strong> select <strong>Start</strong>, type <strong>Show animations</strong>, select the result, and under <strong>Simplify and personalize Windows</strong>, turn on <strong>Show animations in Windows</strong>.</li>
        <li><strong>Outlook for Microsoft 365, before version 2008:</strong> select <strong>File</strong> &gt; <strong>Options</strong> &gt; <strong>Advanced</strong>, and in the <strong>Display</strong> section, select <strong>Play animated GIFs</strong>.</li>
      </ul>
      <p>You can also <a href="#viewing-an-e-mail-in-your-web-browser-outlook-2016-or-outlook-2013">view the email in your web browser</a>, where the GIF plays.</p>
    </div>
  </details>
</div>


## Viewing an email in your web browser

In classic Outlook for Microsoft 365, Outlook 2024, and Outlook 2021:

1. Double-click the message to open it in its own window. These steps don't work from the Reading Pane.
2. In the **Move** group on the ribbon, select **More Move Actions** > **View in Browser**. With the Simplified Ribbon, select the three dots, then **Actions** > **Actions** > **View in Browser**.

:::note[Older Outlook versions]
In Outlook 2016 and Outlook 2013, open the message, and on the **Message** tab, in the **Move** group, select **Actions** > **View in Browser**. Microsoft no longer supports these versions.
:::

## What's next

- [Inline vs. hosted images](https://help.opensense.com/docs/in-line-vs-hosted-images)
- [Uploading images to Opensense (classic UI)](https://help.opensense.com/docs/how-to-upload-images-to-opensense)

For further help, contact Opensense Support at [help@opensense.com](mailto:help@opensense.com).
