This guide introduces the key concepts to help you get started quickly and effectively.
In Short: How SignatureSatori Works
It pulls user data from your GW using the Google Workspace API.
You create a signature template that includes placeholders, e.g. {firstName}, for dynamic information.
SignatureSatori fills these placeholders with the user/company data and uploads the final signature to the user's Gmail settings via the Gmail API.
Consequently, the features and actions available for managing data and signatures are determined by the capabilities provided by these Google APIs. (The reasons for choosing this approach despite potential limitations are discussed at the end of this article.)
Basic Setup Steps
After installation, here are the main steps to get your signatures running (more details for each step below):
Check user data & User Groups: Verify imported user details and adjust the automatically created group structure if needed.
Complete Company Profile(s): Fill in your company's shared information.
Create Signature Template(s): Use our pre-made templates and customize them, build one from scratch, or even write your own HTML.
(Optional) Add Marketing: Include banners or content feeds and schedule when they appear with the Marketing Planner.
Make Assignments: Assign templates, profiles, and marketing to the whole company, groups, or individual users.
Choose Plan & Apply: Select your pricing plan and apply the signatures to users.
A closer look at the whole process
Connecting with Google Workspace
Here’s how SignatureSatori interacts with your Google Workspace:
Data Fetching:
SignatureSatori pulls user details (name, title, phone, etc.) from your Google Workspace Directory.
User details can also be edited or supplemented directly within SignatureSatori in the Users & Set-up section, but we recommend maintaining them primarily in Google Workspace and syncing them for easier upkeep.
Importing User Structure (Groups):
Your user structure is imported based on Organizational Units (OUs) in Google Workspace.
Within SignatureSatori, these are called User Groups, and they are the foundation for assigning signatures and company details.
Managing Groups:
While Groups start based on OUs, you can customize them within SignatureSatori.
Create new Groups, delete old ones, or move users between them as needed, independent of your Google Workspace OUs.
Handling 'Send as' Addresses (Email Aliases):
You can also import any 'send as' addresses (email aliases) you have configured in Gmail.
This allows you to set a different signature for each alias, which is useful for users sending emails from multiple addresses (e.g.,
support@company.comorinfo@company.com) through a single Gmail account.
One-Way Data Flow:
Data transfer is only from Google Workspace to SignatureSatori.
SignatureSatori never writes changes back to your Google Workspace Directory.
Company Profiles: Managing Shared Information
In the Company Profiles section, you define the company-wide details that will serve as source material for your signatures.
Enter Company Details: Fill in information like the official company address, phone number, website, social media links, and upload your company logo.
Multiple Profiles: If you manage multiple companies or branches (under the same Google Workspace account), you can set up multiple Company Profiles here and assign them to different User Groups.
External Sources: You can link specific external sources (like blogs or social feeds) to company profiles for later use in templates and marketing campaigns.
Creating and Assigning Signatures
Now, let's focus on the creative part: designing your email signatures. This is where you'll bring your brand's identity to life, and it all happens in the Signature Templates section:
Creating Signature Templates:
You have options:
Use and customize predefined templates.
Build from scratch with our drag-and-drop editor.
Upload your own custom HTML code or use your current signature.
👉 Find tips for designing your email signature in our Signature Design General Guidelines.
Making Templates Dynamic with Placeholders:
Placeholders are what make the templates powerful and dynamic. These are special tags (like
{firstName},{jobtitle}, or{companyAddress}) that automatically insert the correct information for each user when the signature is applied.User Data Placeholders (e.g.,
{firstName}) pull information from each user's individual profile.Company Data Placeholders (e.g.,
{companyAddress}) pull information from the Company Profile assigned to the User's Group.You can find all available placeholders in the 'Personal' and 'Company' sections of the signature editor.
Assigning Template:
Assign your created signature template flexibly. You can apply it to:
Everyone in the organization.
You might create multiple templates if different departments, branches, or roles require signatures with distinct information or design.
Adding Marketing Content to Signatures
Enhance your signatures with dynamic elements.
Banners: Promote events, sales, news, and others.
Content Feeds: Show latest blog posts (via RSS) or links to social media (X, YouTube, etc.).
Use the Marketing Planner to schedule when different content appears.
(Note: This works best with the Subscription Plan.)
Applying Signatures and Choosing a Plan
Ready to go live? Once templates, profiles, and marketing are set up for your Groups, you can apply the signatures. How signatures are applied and the associated costs depend on your chosen plan.
SignatureSatori offers two main pricing plans. It's also possible to combine these plans within your organization, using Subscription for some users and Credits for others.
Subscription Plan:
How it works: Recurring monthly payment per user (seat/license). Signatures are then automatically applied to licensed users every day.
Benefits:
✅ Unlimited Updates: Change signatures for licensed users as often as you want.
✅ Full Automation: Daily automatic data sync from Google Workspace to SignatureSatori and from there to users’ Gmail.
✅ Marketing Planner: Schedule promotional banners and content feeds to appear automatically in signatures.
Best for: Organizations that need regular updates, automation, and peace of mind.
👉 If you need to apply signatures immediately, read our guide on how to do it.
Credits Plan:
How it works: A pay-as-you-go model where you purchase credits. Each signature set or update for a user costs one credit.
Best for: Organizations that set up signatures once and rarely change them.
👉 Check out the detailed article on pricing plans to find the best fit for your needs.
Keeping Data Up-to-Date: Syncing
Ensuring user data in signatures remains current is handled differently based on your plan:
Subscription Plan:
User data automatically syncs with Google Workspace every day by default.
You can enable or disable this automatic daily sync and choose different sync modes in Settings.
A manual sync can also be triggered anytime in the Users & Setup section for free.
Credit Plan:
Data synchronization requires manual triggering (the sync is free of charge).
Perform a manual sync in the Users & Setup section.
You're Ready!
You now know the basics of SignatureSatori.
For detailed setup instructions, check specific guides in our Help Center.
If you need further help, you can:
Contact us via the chat window in the bottom-left corner of the app.
Send us an email at support@signaturesatori.com.
Technical Note: Our API Approach vs. SMTP Relays
SignatureSatori uses Google's official APIs (Google Workspace API & Gmail API) to manage signatures directly within the secure Google ecosystem. This is known as a client-side approach, as the signature is set directly in the user's Gmail client. This native integration is fundamental to our approach for several key reasons:
Reliability & Stability: By working directly with Google's infrastructure, we avoid introducing external points of failure. Your email flow is not dependent on SignatureSatori's servers once the signature is set in Gmail.
Security & Privacy: Your email content is not rerouted through third-party servers during the sending process. Management happens within the environment you already trust.
Visible Signatures in Gmail: Using the Gmail API means the correct signature is visible directly within the Gmail compose window before the user sends their email. What they see is what the recipient gets, allowing for immediate verification.
An alternative method some services use is SMTP relays, a server-side approach. This approach routes all outgoing emails through an external server, which then appends the signature after the email leaves the user's outbox. While this method might offer certain functionalities not available via API (like applying different signatures for internal vs. external recipients), SignatureSatori consciously avoids it due to significant drawbacks:
Critical Reliability Risk: Routing all emails through an external server creates a major dependency. If that server experiences downtime or issues, your organization's entire outgoing email flow can stop. We believe uninterrupted email delivery is absolutely paramount and should not be compromised for signature management.
Potential Security Concerns: Rerouting all email communication through an external third-party server can raise security and data privacy concerns for organizations handling sensitive information.
Lack of User Preview & Control: Users compose and send emails without seeing the final signature. They have no way to verify if the correct information or marketing banner is being applied before it reaches the recipient, potentially leading to errors or outdated information being sent unknowingly.
By leveraging Google's robust APIs, SignatureSatori prioritizes reliability, user confidence, and security, providing a seamless and trustworthy signature management experience.