Outlook signature issue

Question

When I receive replies, my signature line has question marks (?????????) proceeding the last line. There are not present in my signature template, or when I send the email, or when I receive replies.

Thoughts?

Answer 1

Question marks or other unexpected characters that appear next to a signature line in replies are typically caused by hidden or unsupported characters or formatting in the original signature HTML.

To fix this in Outlook.com / Outlook on the web, recreate a clean, simple signature and avoid special characters or complex formatting:

1. In Outlook.com, select Settings (gear icon) at the top.
2. Select Mail > Compose and reply.
3. Delete the existing signature content.
4. Type the signature again manually (do not paste from Word, a web page, or another email).
5. Keep the formatting simple: plain text or basic font/size changes only. Avoid symbols, special characters, or copied logos that may insert hidden characters.
6. Select Save.

Then send a test email to another account and reply to it to confirm the question marks no longer appear.

If the issue returns, simplify the last line further (for example, remove any trailing spaces, punctuation, or special characters) and test again.

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References:

• Customize your email message in Outlook.com
• You can't create a new message from Outlook Web App in Microsoft 365