The academic messaging system of Aix-Marseille assigns each staff member an address of the type [email protected]. This address is used for communication with hierarchy, colleagues, and institutional partners. Adding a professional signature to this messaging system allows for clear identification of the sender and avoids the need to retype contact details with each message sent.
Roundcube or Zimbra: two interfaces, two paths to the signature
The academic region PACA currently offers two distinct environments, Roundcube and Zimbra, to access the academic webmail. The choice of interface directly determines the method for creating the signature.
Roundcube provides a relatively simple signature editor. The field accepts plain text and some basic formatting (bold, italic, hyperlink). Zimbra, on the other hand, has a more comprehensive HTML editor that allows for the integration of images, colors, and more elaborate layouts.
Before starting, it is necessary to check which interface is active on the account. The login URL and the appearance of the inbox can help determine this: Roundcube displays a simple sidebar, while Zimbra features a more extensive toolbar. To delve deeper into the configuration of the Aix-Marseille academic messaging system with Apprendissimo, the steps are detailed interface by interface.
Creating a signature in Roundcube: settings and limitations
In Roundcube, the signature is configured from the Settings menu, then the Identities section. Clicking on the email address displays a form with a Signature field at the bottom of the page.
Activating HTML format in Roundcube
By default, the signature field may be in plain text. A checkbox labeled “HTML Signature” allows switching to a mini-editor. This option is essential for adding a clickable link to a site or formatting the text with colors.
The HTML format must be activated before pasting formatted content, otherwise the tags will be removed and only plain text will be retained. A common mistake is to write the signature in a word processor and then paste it into the plain field: all formatting will disappear.
Recommended content for the academic signature
A professional signature in the context of the Aix-Marseille academy should remain concise. Here are the elements to include:
- First name and last name, followed by the position (teacher, administrative staff, AESH, school director)
- Affiliated institution and, if applicable, the district
- Professional phone number (not the personal number)
- Academic email address, even if it already appears in the message header, as some transfers may mask it
Adding a logo or image in Roundcube is technically possible, but the file size and rendering on recipients’ messaging systems often pose problems. It is better to stick to text.
Creating a signature in Zimbra: taking advantage of the HTML editor
Zimbra offers a slightly different path. You need to access Preferences, then the Signatures tab. A “New Signature” button opens a rich editor with a complete toolbar.
The Zimbra editor allows you to directly insert an image (such as a school logo), modify fonts, add horizontal separators, and structure the signature over multiple lines with finer control. Zimbra also allows the creation of multiple signatures associated with different identities or aliases, which is useful for staff managing a functional address in addition to their personal address.
Once the signature is created, it must be associated with the default identity in the “Default Signature for New Messages” dropdown menu. Without this association, the signature exists but does not insert automatically.
MOM: the tool for managing academic messaging options
The homepage of the Aix-Marseille academic messaging system mentions a tool called MOM (My Messaging Options). This portal centralizes the management of aliases, redirections, and the visual signature of the account.
MOM operates independently of Roundcube and Zimbra. The signature defined in MOM can overlap or conflict with the one configured in the webmail. To avoid duplicates (two signatures appearing one below the other), the best practice is to choose a single configuration location:
- Either in MOM, if the signature should be the same regardless of the email client used (webmail, smartphone, tablet)
- Or directly in Roundcube or Zimbra, if different signatures are needed depending on the sending context
- Or in the local IMAP client (Thunderbird, Outlook, Apple Mail), if the messaging is configured using the IMAP protocol on a personal device
In the latter case, the IMAP and SMTP settings of the academy must be entered correctly for sending to work and for the signature to display. The incoming and outgoing servers use STARTTLS encryption, and the username generally corresponds to the full email address.
Common errors that prevent the signature from displaying
The signature is created but does not appear in sent messages: this problem occurs regularly. Three main causes explain it.
The first is the failure to associate the signature with the sending identity. In Zimbra as in Roundcube, creating a signature is not enough. It must be explicitly linked to the sender’s address in the identity settings.
The second concerns the composition mode. If the account is set to “plain text” for composing messages, an HTML signature will not display correctly and will be reduced to plain text without formatting. The composition mode must match the format of the signature.
The third affects users who access their messaging via an external IMAP client. The signature defined in the webmail does not propagate to the local client. It must be recreated manually in the software settings (Thunderbird, Outlook, or other).
The academic signature remains a simple technical element, but its configuration varies depending on the interface used. Checking the active environment (Roundcube, Zimbra, or MOM), activating the correct format, and associating the signature with the sending identity is usually sufficient to achieve a professional and functional result.
