Configuration - Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use both custom attributes and additional Azure AD attributes in the signature?

It is not possible to enable both the Custom Attributes and Additional Azure AD Attributes features.

However, you can include custom attributes, also known as extension attributes, within the list of directory extensions in Azure AD Connect when selecting up to 100 attributes for use with the Additional Azure AD Attributes feature.

See Which Active Directory attributes can be used in Exclaimer Cloud - Signatures for Microsoft 365?

Does Exclaimer work with Azure Information Protection (AIP)?

Yes, client-side signatures can be applied to emails protected by AIP.

Unfortunately, due to the nature of AIP from Microsoft 365, currently, there is no workaround available for server-side signatures- as AIP supersedes transport rules in the Exchange Admin Center. This is expected behaviour when using the server-side signature rules. It ensures that security on the message is preserved and un-tampered when the message is delivered to the intended recipient.

For more information, see A signature is not applied to signed or encrypted messages.

What is the difference between the different configuration options?
  • Apply to email from all devices including mobiles: In this mode, emails are routed to Exclaimer Cloud to be processed and stamped with a signature. Emails can come from any browser/device/email client - this allows signatures to be applied to the emails from mobile devices. Once the email is processed, it is returned back to Microsoft 365/Google Workspace/Exchange for delivery.

  • See before you send (Client-side): In this mode, signatures are synchronized to the user's computers for use in Microsoft Outlook. If emails are routed to Exclaimer Cloud, the process recognizes that a signature is already applied and will not apply a duplicate signature. The email is processed and passed back to Microsoft 365/Google Workspace/Exchange for delivery.

  • Exchange On-Premises: In this mode, signatures are applied to all email messages via Exclaimer's Cloud service, irrespective of which browser/device/email client is used. You do not require a licensed Exchange Online mailbox to configure Exclaimer Cloud to utilize server-side signatures when all your mailboxes are hosted in your On-Premises Exchange environment
Can I change my configuration options later?
Yes, of course. You can easily edit the configuration (of your subscription) afterwards.
The Launch button is not available? 
This usually happens when the user who originally created the subscription didn't accept the terms and conditions. 
I have changed the domain name (or got a new one). What do I do now?

You don't need to make any changes in Exclaimer Cloud. But please ensure that:

  • Data synchronization has been completed (this occurs automatically once a day but can be forced if required).

  • The new or modified domain has been added to the same Microsoft 365 tenancy that was used when signing up for Exclaimer Cloud.

  • Messages are routed through the Exclaimer send connector in Microsoft 365 (this is a standard setup, so unless you have actively changed this setting, it will be correct).
Will the Sent Items Update feature work with my On-Premises mailboxes?

Currently, any mailboxes hosted within your On-Premises environment will not be updated by the Sent Items Update

But you can always raise a feature request via a Support ticket.

What is Sender Policy Framework (SPF)?

Sender Policy Framework (SPF) is a protocol that prevents spammers from sending emails with forged 'From' addresses to your domain.

An SPF record is a type of TXT record that identifies any mail servers permitted to send emails on behalf of your domain; they are also known as Reverse MX records.

Domain administrators publish SPF records in the Domain Name System (DNS); this enables the incoming mail servers to verify the domain name from which emails are sent. When a recipient's mail server receives an email, it checks the SPF record to determine whether it is a valid email. If the email comes from a server included in the SPF record, it is legitimate; if not, it is rejected as spam.

I have configured the server-side feature. Do I update the SPF record?
If you have configured the server-side feature, it is important to update the Sender Policy Framework (SPF) record. If you don't do this, there is a risk that any messages that are routed from Exclaimer Cloud back to your email service can be marked as spam. 
I have configured the client-side feature. Do I update the SPF record?
If you have configured the client-side feature, you don't need to update the Sender Policy Framework (SPF) record.
How do I update the SPF records?

You, as an IT Administrator, need to update the SPF records based on the Exclaimer Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) hosts to include the following include mechanism:

include:spf.<region code>.exclaimer.net

For more information, please see the following:
How to update the Sender Policy Framework (SPF)?
How can you check your region code?

How can I have multiple SPF records?

Multiple SPF records are not recommended, as this can cause delivery and/or spam classification issues. 

What is the Exclaimer Cloud Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) host list and Internet Protocol (IP) Whitelist?
The Exclaimer Cloud service uses a number of Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) hosts, which help move your email across networks to complete the simple actions of sending and receiving mail between the email sender and receiver. 

For your domain, if you add additional include mechanisms to the Sender Policy Framework (SPF) records and this causes them to exceed the 10 Domain Name System (DNS) lookup limit - you can add the IP address (specific to the region where your Exclaimer Cloud subscription is hosted) to the SPF records.

For the complete list, see Exclaimer Cloud Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) host list and Internet Protocol (IP) Whitelist.
Is a license required for sending email as or on behalf of a shared mailbox?

Send-on-behalf can be configured to apply the sender's personal signature or the shared mailbox's signature, depending on how it is configured.

  • If the Send-on-behalf feature is disabled, the sender's personal signature will apply, and an additional license is not required.

  • If the Send-on-behalf feature is enabled or the email is sent using Send-as permissions, then the shared mailbox's signature will apply, and an additional license is required.
Does Exclaimer Cloud integrate with SendGrid?
Unfortunately, Exclaimer Cloud does not currently integrate with emails sent directly from SendGrid. If the emails are also passed to your Microsoft 365 or Google tenancies, and the MAILFROM addresses match users' email addresses, then it may still be possible for you to apply signatures sent from SendGrid.

If you are interested in integrating Exclaimer Cloud with SendGrid, please raise a ticket with our Support team, who can submit a feature request on your behalf.
Does Exclaimer Cloud Outlook Add-in work in Chrome incognito mode?
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How are signatures synchronized with Outlook and Apple Mail?

Signatures are synchronized with Outlook and Apple Mail using the Exclaimer Cloud Signature Update Agent - this must be deployed to each user's computer. The agent runs in the background and synchronizes the signatures at regular intervals.

When the signatures are synchronized to Outlook and Apple Mail, the first applicable client-side signature is synchronized as the default signature for that user.

How often are signatures synchronized to Microsoft Outlook and Apple Mail?

The Exclaimer Cloud Signature Update Agent synchronizes signatures once every hour.

If you want changes to a signature to be synchronized sooner, then:

- For Windows: You can force synchronization by restarting the agent on the user's machine.
To do this: Open the Task Manager and close the Exclaimer Cloud Signature Update Agent, then restart it again.

- For Mac: You can force synchronization by closing the agent on the user's machine.
To do this: From the Launchpad, open the Activity Monitor, select Exclaimer Signature Agent, and click Quit. The Exclaimer Cloud Signature Update Agent will automatically restart and update the signatures.

What is the user's experience in Outlook and Apple Mail?

When a user composes an email in Microsoft Outlook, the appropriate signature, synchronized from Exclaimer Cloud, is displayed in the message. 

- If you are using both client-side and server-side, then when a user sends a message, it is routed to the Exclaimer Cloud servers for processing before being passed to Microsoft 365 for delivery.

- If you are using only the client-side, then when a user sends a message, the email is not routed to the Exclaimer Cloud servers.   

In Microsoft Office, you can set Outlook client restrictions to determine what changes users can make to signatures locally. 

How does Exclaimer Cloud server-side configuration handle messages when a synchronized signature has already been applied in Outlook or Apple Mail?

A 'text match' check is carried out to prevent duplicate signatures from being applied to a message when using client-side rules. This check determines whether a message has already had a client-side signature applied by Exclaimer Cloud Signature Update Agent.

If a client-side signature has been applied, the signature processing stops, and the message is routed back to Microsoft 365 for delivery.  

Can users edit their signature in Microsoft Outlook?

You can 'lock' access to the signature options in Microsoft Outlook and/or archive (remove) all existing Microsoft Outlook signatures for each user.

On the other hand, you cannot restrict a user's ability to edit signatures in Apple Mail.

What systems are supported by Exclaimer Cloud Signature Update Agent?

Exclaimer Cloud Signature Update Agent supports Windows 7 through to Windows 10 and macOS 10.13 or above.

Currently, the agent works with Microsoft Outlook and Apple Mail.

To apply signatures to emails sent from all devices and mail clients, we recommend using server-side signature rules in conjunction with Exclaimer Cloud Signature Update Agent.

How can I deploy Exclaimer Cloud Signature Update Agent?

You can deploy Exclaimer Cloud Signature Update Agent onto the client computers in two ways:

- Deploy via URL 

- Deploy via GPO

We recommend: You deploy Exclaimer Cloud Signature Update Agent via URL as this is the simplest method, and it ensures that the Agent is always up to date. But, if you need to, you can also deploy Exclaimer Cloud Signature Update Agent via GPO.

Can I install Exclaimer Cloud Signature Update Agent via GPO?

Exclaimer recommends using the ClickOnce application as it can automatically update when new versions of the Agent become available. Deployment via GPO, with an MSI file, is recommended for larger environments; however, new versions will need to be manually updated. 

WARNING! This option is valid for Windows only. It will not work with macOS.

What is ClickOnce? 

The Exclaimer Cloud Signature Update Agent windows version uses a ClickOnce application. 

ClickOnce is a Microsoft technology that enables the Exclaimer Cloud Signature Update Agent to be installed quickly and easily and to update itself with future updates.

In the macOS version, the Exclaimer Cloud Signature Update Agent uses a Disk Image (.dmg) file format and can be installed by downloading and double-clicking on the file. 

Exclaimer Cloud Signature Update Agent via GPO did not install - why and what should I do?

In some scenarios, Exclaimer Cloud Signature Update Agent may not install - this can be due to a lack of time to set off the policy.
In such cases, run the following command in the command box to force run the GPO:

gpupdate /force
Is it possible to configure Exclaimer Cloud - Signatures for Google Workspace to work alongside another third-party service?

Yes, it is possible to configure Exclaimer Cloud - Signatures for Google Workspace to work alongside another third-party service.

To achieve this, it is necessary to ensure that emails are routed to Exclaimer Cloud first, and once the emails are delivered back to Google Workspace, the emails route to the other third party.

For more information, see Configure Exclaimer Cloud - Signatures for Google Workspace with another third-party service.

How do you update group members?
It is very easy to update group members - you need to change their memberships in the Active Directory. The change is instant, and no service restart is required.
How can you specify a group type?
Groups should be specified as a list of group display names. Multiple groups can be separated by spaces, commas or semi-colons. Email addresses will not work.
Which group types can be specified to restrict using the Exclaimer Exchange Transport Agent?

You can specify the following group types when restricting the Exclaimer Exchange Transport Agent to members of a specific group:

  • Security Group
  • Distribution groups
Which group types will not work with the Exclaimer Exchange Transport Agent?

The following group types and group configurations will not work with the Exclaimer Exchange Transport Agent:

  • Dynamic Distribution Groups
  • Nested groups
Is there any Outlook Add-in that works with Google Workspace Sync for Microsoft Outlook (GWSMO)?
Unfortunately, there is no Outlook Add-in that works with GWSMO.
Can I use my personal signature when sending as a shared mailbox using the Outlook Add-In?
Unfortunately, it is not currently possible to achieve this using the Outlook Add-In. However, this can be done with the Exclaimer Cloud Signature Update Agent.
For more information, please see Difference between Exclaimer Cloud Outlook Add-in and Exclaimer Cloud Signature Update Agent?