This guide explains why Scalar Vector Graphics (.svg) files may appear broken or fail to load when used in email signatures, and provides the recommended solution to ensure your branding is visible to all recipients.
Q1: I updated my signature template with an SVG logo. Why is it broken?
While Signature Manager for Gmail successfully pushes the HTML code for your signature to your users' settings, Gmail itself does not support SVG files in email signatures.
If you use an SVG file, the signature may look correct in our editor, but when a user composes an email in Gmail, the image will likely appear as a broken image icon or be completely invisible.
Q2: Why doesn't Gmail support SVGs?
This is a security restriction enforced by Google, not a limitation of the Signature Manager app.
Gmail uses a "proxy" to serve images to ensure they are safe. Because SVG files are code-based (XML) and can theoretically contain malicious scripts (like JavaScript), Google’s security filters often block them to prevent potential security vulnerabilities.
Q3: What should I do instead?
To ensure your logo appears correctly for 100% of recipients (both on desktop and mobile), you must use a standard raster image format.
We recommends using:
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PNG (.png): Best for logos and text-based graphics because it supports transparency and high quality.
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JPG (.jpg): Good for photographs or images with many gradients.
How to fix this issue
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Convert your image: Open your original logo file and export/save it as a PNG file.
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Host the image: Upload the new PNG to a public hosting location (such as Google Photos) to generate a public, direct URL.
- Need help hosting? See our guide: How do I upload an image?
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Update the Template:
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Open Signature Manager.
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Select your template.
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Click the Insert/edit image icon.
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Paste the new PNG URL into the "Source" field.
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Click Save.
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Once you redeploy the signature, the images will render correctly in Gmail immediately.