Want colleagues or partners to reach you faster in Teams instead of by email? Add a Chat with me in Teams link to your email signature. Anyone who clicks it opens a chat with you straight away, without having to look you up first. In this article you build the link, add it to your signature in the new or classic Outlook and learn what to keep in mind with external recipients.
1. Build the link
The link is a so-called deep link into Teams. It looks like this. Replace the email address with your own:
https://teams.microsoft.com/l/chat/0/0?users=jan@yourdomain.comPaste the link into your browser to test it: Teams opens a chat with that address. Use the address you sign in to Teams with. Usually that's your email address, but in some organizations it differs.
Extra options for the link
- Add
&message=with a short text to prefill the message, for example Hello%20Jan. You write spaces as%20. The recipient still has to send the message themselves. - Put several addresses after
users=, separated by a comma, to open a group chat. With&topicName=you give that chat a name. Handy for a fixed support team, for example.
2. Add the link to your signature
- In the new Outlook or Outlook on the web, go to Settings > Accounts > Signatures. In classic Outlook: File > Options > Mail > Signatures.
- Choose the signature you want to change, or create a new one.
- Type a text, such as Chat with me in Teams, or add a small Teams icon.
- Select the text or icon, choose Insert link and paste the link.
- Under the default signatures, choose whether the signature appears on new messages and on replies.
- Select Save.
New to signatures? Read create an email signature in Outlook.
3. The result
The recipient clicks the link and chooses the Teams app or the web version. On a smartphone, the Teams app opens if it's installed. People outside your organization can only chat with you when external access is on in both organizations. Recipients without a Teams account get a sign-in screen. For them email remains the best route, or you share a conversation another way, as in share a Teams message with people who don't use Teams.
Tips
- Use an icon that is hosted online, for example on your company website, instead of a large embedded file. Embedded images show up as an attachment for some recipients.
- Keep the text short and clear. Chat with me in Teams works better than an icon alone, because not every mail client shows images.
- Would you rather propose a meeting? Then schedule a Teams meeting in your calendar and send the invite straight away.
Common problems
The link opens an empty chat or an error.
Check the address after users= for typos and test again in a private browser window.
My signature differs between classic and new Outlook.
Signatures are stored in the cloud for Microsoft 365 mailboxes, but older signatures are sometimes still only stored locally. Check both and adjust them if needed.
Tip for admins
Want the link in everyone's signature? A rule in Exchange Online can add a fixed text at the bottom of every email, but it isn't personal and also appears below replies. For personal signatures across the whole organization, many companies use a separate signature tool.
Nederlandstalige versie: Een Chat met mij in Teams-link in je e-mailhandtekening zetten