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Exchange Server-Side Email Signatures: Transport Rule Setup

Set up Exchange connectors and transport rules, automated or manual, to append signatures in transit, with validation and rollback steps.

WiseStamp for IT › Exchange › Step 5 of 12 — Server-Side Routing

Plan requirement: Platform or Enterprise.

Topology applicability

Topology

Documented method

Exchange Online

Automated wizard or manual connectors + transport rules (below)

Hybrid (outbound via Exchange Online)

Same — configured at the Exchange Online egress

Server-side routing is configured in the Exchange admin center, so outbound mail must egress through Exchange Online. An Exchange Server environment with no Microsoft 365 tenant is not supported on any plan.

How it works

Outbound mail leaves Exchange, routes to the WiseStamp server-side host, gets the signature appended, and is delivered. Applied in transit, so it’s consistent across devices.

Can run alone or in hybrid mode with the Add-In — server-side appends only when no WiseStamp signature is detected, preventing duplicates (Setup Overview).

Prerequisites

Option A — Automated configuration

  1. In WiseStamp, click Integrations.

  2. In Server-side, click Connect and select Microsoft Exchange.

  3. Select I’m the Global Admin and click Connect.

  4. Click Authorize, select the relevant domains, click Connect.

  5. Add SPF records to domains lacking them, then Verify.

  6. Copy the code and click Connect. In the Microsoft pop-up, paste the code, click Next.

  7. Close the tab. The Management page appears.

Then validate (below) and configure signature rules (Signature Rules & Scoping).

Option B — Manual configuration

Use when building the mail flow yourself. Contact WiseStamp support to enable manual configuration and obtain your routing code first. Must be done by a Global Administrator in the Exchange admin center.

Phase 1 — Connectors

Outbound connector:

  1. Exchange admin center > Mail flow > Connectors > Add a connector.

  2. From = Office 365; To = Your organization’s email server. Next.

  3. Name: outbound ms.smtp.wisestamp.net. Next.

  4. Use of connector: "Only when I have a transport rule…". Next.

  5. Routing: enter routing code + .ms.smtp.wisestamp.net (e.g. RFw0rAriJyW.ms.smtp.wisestamp.net). +, Next.

  6. Security restrictions: "Add the subject name…" = *.ms.smtp.wisestamp.net. Next.

  7. Validation email: enter address, +, Validate (ignore validation-failure errors). Next.

  8. Create connector, Done.

Inbound connector:

  1. Mail flow > Connectors > Add a connector.

  2. From = Your organization’s email server. Next.

  3. Name: inbound outbound.smtp.wisestamp.net. Next.

  4. Authenticating sent email: first radio button = outbound.smtp.wisestamp.net. Next.

  5. Create connector, Done.

Phase 2 — Transport rules

Rule 1 — exclude out-of-office:

  1. Mail flow > Rules > Add a rule > Create a new rule.

  2. Name: Prevent Out of Office messages being sent to WS SMTP.

  3. If: message type is Automatic reply.

  4. Do: set header X-Wisestamphostedsignatures-Messageprocessed = true.

  5. Next/Next/Finish; priority 0.

Rule 2 — route to WiseStamp:

  1. Rules > Add a rule > Create a new rule.

  2. Name: Identify messages to send to WS SMTP.

  3. If: sender is located inside the organization.

  4. Do: redirect to connector outbound ms.smtp.wisestamp.net; set header X-Wisestamphostedsignatures-Auth = your routing code.

  5. Exceptions (4): message size ≥ 26624; header X-Wisestamphostedsignatures-Messageprocessed contains true; sender address matches <>; sender located outside the organization.

  6. Next/Next/Finish; priority 1.

Enable: toggle both rules on, then in WiseStamp Integrations > Server-side > Manually > Connect.

Phase 3 — Disable RTF

Mail flow > Remote domains > Default > Edit text and character set > Use rich-text format = Never > Save.

Validation (validity check)

  1. In WiseStamp, activate your user.

  2. Send a test email; confirm the signature appears.

  3. Test from a non-Outlook device (mobile) for cross-client coverage.

  4. Confirm SPF and dkim=pass (Prerequisites Checklist, Troubleshooting Reference).

  5. Keep several admins with Exchange admin center access for fast troubleshooting.

Full acceptance: Go-Live Checklist.

Emergency: disable routing

If mail stops, disable the routing rule so mail bypasses WiseStamp, then contact support:

  1. Exchange admin center > Mail flow > Rules.

  2. Open Identify messages to send to WS SMTP and toggle off.

To re-enable later, reconnect from Integrations (Troubleshooting Reference).

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​Next → · Exchange Server SAML SSO for Email Signature Admins

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