How to Create Mailto Links with Subject and Body
Mailto links are a convenient way to redirect users to an email address instead of a web page URL. When a visitor clicks on a Mailto link, it opens their default email client and prompts them to compose a message to the specified email address.
In this article, we will explore how to create Mailto links with subject and body parameters to pre-fill the email's subject line, carbon copy (CC) and blind carbon copy (BCC) recipients, and the message body.
Creating a Basic Mailto Link#
To create a Mailto link, we utilize the HTML <a> tag with the href attribute and add the mailto: parameter followed by the email address. Here is an example:
<a href="mailto:email@example.com">Send Email</a>
If you wish to send the email to multiple recipients, you can separate the email addresses with a comma:
<a href="mailto:email@example.com,secondemail@example.com">Send Email</a>
Adding a Pre-filled Subject#
To include a pre-filled subject line in the email, you can add the subject parameter to the href attribute.
<a href="mailto:email@example.com?subject=Mail%20from%20our%20Website">Send Email</a>
Including CC and BCC Recipients#
If you want to include carbon copy (CC) and blind carbon copy (BCC) recipients in the email, you can use the cc and bcc parameters in the href attribute.
<a href="mailto:email@example.com?cc=secondemail@example.com&bcc=lastemail@example.com&subject=Mail%20from%20our%20Website">Send Email</a>
Adding a Message Body#
To pre-fill the email with a body text, you can utilize the body parameter along with other parametersparameters.
<a href="mailto:email@example.com?cc=secondemail@example.com&bcc=lastemail@example.com&subject=Mail%20from%20our%20Website&body=Some%20body%20text%20here">Send Email</a>
Considerations and Alternatives#
While Mailto links are easy to use and beneficial, they do have some downsides. One major concern is the potential for Mailto links to be exploited by spammers, leading to an increased likelihood of receiving spam emails. To mitigate this risk, it is advisable to use a Mailto form on your website instead of a direct Mailto link.
Conclusion#
Mailto links provide a convenient way to redirect users to email addresses. By utilizing parameters such as subject, CC, BCC, and body, you can pre-fill specific fields in the email client, enhancing user experience.
However, it is essential to be cautious about potential spam-related issues and consider alternative approaches, such as Mailto forms, for better control over incoming emails.
