Add an HTML signature with a QR code in Gmail
Gmail accepts a formatted signature provided you paste it from the clipboard: there is no field for importing HTML. It is simpler than it sounds, and it works on a free account as well as on Google Workspace.
The steps
- Click “Copy signature” above.
- In Gmail: gear icon → See all settings → General tab.
- Scroll to “Signature” and create a new one.
- Paste into the box (Cmd+V or Ctrl+V).
- At the very bottom of the page: “Save changes”.
The pitfall to know about
Gmail rejects signatures longer than 10,000 characters. Those that embed their images directly in the code go past that limit; the signature produced here points to hosted images and weighs a few hundred bytes.
Why put a QR code in a signature?
A professional sends several thousand emails a year, and each one shows their signature to someone. A QR code placed there leads to a business card whose contents can change at any time: you change number, the card follows, and the messages already sent stay correct.
Create yours, free
Pick the fields, the layout and the colour, copy, paste. Your logo is accepted on the free plan, and the QR code leads to a card you can edit whenever you like.