Advanced Signature Features

Advanced signature management features for enterprise deployments. Delegate signature administration to non-IT staff, display signatures in users' Sent Items folders (Microsoft 365), and automatically convert plain-text emails to HTML for proper banner and signature formatting. Available with Email Signatures add-on.

Written By Matt Sywulak

Last updated 4 months ago

What They Do

Power features for enterprise signature management: delegate administration to non-IT staff, show signatures in sent folders, and ensure banners display properly.

Signature Managers

Delegate signature administration to marketing, HR, or department leads without granting full dashboard access.

What Signature Managers Can Do

  • Modify all signature settings

  • Upload logo and footer images

  • Configure signature layouts and profiles

  • Add or remove other signature managers

What They Cannot Access

  • Other INKY dashboard sections (unless separately granted admin roles)

  • Security settings, reporting, or threat analysis

  • Billing or user management

Setup

  1. Navigate to Email Signatures > Signature Managers

  2. Click Edit Signature Managers

  3. Add email addresses directly or select groups (if Directory API enabled)

  4. Click Save

Signature managers can be from outside your organization - they must have Microsoft or Google OAuth login credentials.

Common Use Cases

  • Marketing team updates campaign banners

  • HR manages new hire signature templates

  • Regional managers control local office signatures

  • Third-party agency manages signatures without dashboard access

Sent Items Folder Update

Show applied signatures in the sender's Sent Items folder (Microsoft 365 only).

What It Does

After INKY adds a signature to outbound email, the signature appears in the sender's Sent Items folder. Without this feature, senders only see their original email without the applied signature.

Requirements

  • Microsoft 365 only (not available for Google Workspace)

  • Remediation Access API must be granted

Setup

  1. Navigate to API Access in INKY Admin Center

  2. Grant Remediation Access to INKY

  3. Enable Sent Items Update checkbox in Email Signatures settings

  4. Signatures now appear in Sent Items folder automatically

How It Works

INKY updates the sent message on the server to include the signature. In new Outlook clients, INKY creates a temporary subfolder in Sent Items to force the client to refresh and show the updated message with signature.

Troubleshooting

Problem: Sent items not updating with signature

Solutions:

  • Verify Remediation Access granted at API Access page

  • Check Email Signatures feature enabled

  • Wait for Microsoft 365 cache to refresh (can take a few minutes)

  • Try switching folders and back to force refresh

Still not working? Contact support@inky.com with test email attached.

Plain-Text to HTML Upgrade

Automatically convert plain-text emails to HTML format for proper signature and banner display.

What It Does

Upgrades plain-text-only emails to HTML so INKY banners and signatures display correctly. Plain-text emails cannot show formatted signatures or warning banners.

Why It's Needed

  • Plain-text emails don't support images, colors, or formatting

  • INKY banners require HTML to display warning colors and links

  • Signatures with logos and formatting need HTML

Default Behavior

Enabled by default - INKY automatically upgrades plain-text messages to HTML when adding signatures or banners.

Configuration

Navigate to Markup Settings > Message Transformations

Options:

  • ✅ Upgrade plain-text-only messages to HTML (default, recommended)

  • ❌ Disabled (messages stay plain-text, signatures/banners won't display properly)

Exceptions

Add senders or domains that should bypass plain-text upgrading.

Common use cases:

  • Recipients who cannot receive HTML email (rare)

  • Legacy systems requiring plain-text only

  • Specific automated systems

To add exceptions:

  1. Navigate to Markup Settings > Message Transformations > Plain-Text Upgrade Exceptions

  2. Add email addresses or domains (CSV format or manual entry)

  3. Click Save

Related Setting: HTML Sanitization

INKY also sanitizes HTML to remove dangerous JavaScript and dynamic content. This works alongside plain-text upgrading to ensure safe, functional signatures and banners.

Best Practices

Signature Managers

  • Grant access only to trusted individuals

  • Use groups instead of individual emails for easier management

  • Document who has signature manager access

  • Review managers quarterly

Sent Items Update

  • Enable for user confidence (they see what recipients see)

  • Educate users about slight delay in Sent Items refresh

  • Required API access: Remediation Access

Plain-Text Upgrade

  • Keep enabled unless specific technical reason to disable

  • Use exceptions sparingly (most recipients support HTML)

  • Test with pilot group before disabling organization-wide