Why Autograph isn’t on the Mac App Store

Autograph is downloaded directly from this site rather than the Mac App Store. That is a deliberate decision, not an oversight or a shortcut — and it is worth explaining, because “not on the App Store” is a fair thing to be cautious about.

The one-click install isn’t allowed on the App Store

Autograph’s whole point is that it sets your finished signature up inside Apple Mail for you — automatically, in one click. Doing that needs a level of access to your Mac that App Store apps aren’t permitted to have, and Apple provides no official way for an app to install an HTML signature on your behalf.

Apple’s App Review rules also prohibit an app from setting up another app’s configuration this way without an official interface — and for mail signatures, there isn’t one. So it comes down to a choice: an App Store listing, or the one-click install. You can’t have both — and we chose the install.

What an App Store version would actually cost you

A sandboxed build could still design signatures beautifully. It just could not install them. In practice that would mean:

• Copy-and-paste setup instead of one click — the exact 30‑minute chore Autograph was built to remove.
• No automatic per-account assignment.
• No automatic repair if a macOS update wipes your signature.
• No self-updater, and licensing rebuilt on StoreKit with Apple taking 15–30%.

We would rather ship the version that works.

Is it still safe to install?

Yes, and you do not have to take our word for it. Autograph is signed with an Apple Developer ID (MARDANIA LLC), built with the hardened runtime, and notarized by Apple — Apple scans every release for malware before it can run. macOS verifies that signature on first launch, so the app opens normally with no right-click‑to‑open workaround.

The only permission Autograph asks for is Full Disk Access, and only because that is what macOS requires for an app to set your signature up inside Apple Mail. It never requests Automation or Accessibility access, never reads your messages, mailboxes, or contacts, and does its work entirely on your Mac.

Buying outside the App Store

Purchases are handled by Paddle as merchant of record, so you get a proper receipt and VAT/sales tax handled correctly. Your license is a one-time purchase — there is no subscription, and the app keeps working regardless. See the Refund Policy and Privacy Policy.