Mailto | Best Practices

A mailto link is used to force a computer’s email client to open and create an email when a guest clicks the link. Mailto links are useful when you want a guest to email a specific email address.

When clicking a mailto link the guest will be taken to their mailbox where they can then type more into the email should they wish to. This email will not send automatically and the guest will need to press ‘send’ after they have drafted the email to their liking. 

Depending on a users settings, when clicking a mailto link on a web browser, it may automatically open a new email in Gmail, Yahoo, etc. If clicking mailto link on an iPhone it may open Apple Mail. If clicking a mailto link on a desktop within Outlook it will open a new email.

Creating the Mailto link

 

Example

To create a mailto link that will mail the front desk, the code will equal:

mailto:[e-mail]

You can also append additional elements to the mailto link. The essential components of this code are:

?cc=[e-mail]

?bcc=[e-mail]

?subject=June%20Newsletter

?body=I%20read%20your%20June%20newsletter

To create a mailto link that will mail the front desk, with the subject "June Newsletter" the code will equal:

mailto:[e-mail]?subject=June%20Newsletter

When you put it all together you get: 

mailto:[e-mail]?cc=[e-mail]&bcc=[e-mail]&subject=June%20Newsletter&body=I%20read%20your%20June%20newsletter

Creating your Mailto Code

Rules of the code:

• Note that %20 should replace any spaces you would like within the subject line or body of your email.
• Add a question mark after the mailto code in front of the first element. Then add an ampersand (&) in front of any additional elements.

Example:  mailto:[e-mail]?cc=[e-mail]&subject=Email%20Subject

To add an Email Address

• Enter the email address you wish to be entered into the “To” line in your contact's email program after the mailto

enter: mailto:[e-mail] into the Link URL field.

To add a CC or BCC 

Add ?cc=[e-mail] or ?bcc=[e-mail].

To add a Subject Line 

Add the following element after the email address elements: &subject=Email%20Subject.  

Example: mailto:[e-mail]?subject=Email%20Example%20Subject%20Line

To add Body Text

Add the following element after the subject line elements: &body=Body%20Text  

Example: mailto:[e-mail]?subject=Email%20Subject&body=Email%20Body%20Text

Linking the Mailto link to your Campaign:

Select a link, button or image you wish to link and in the Module Editor select the URL option. Enter the mailto link code you have created.