What is a mailto link?

A mailto link is a special type of hyperlink that opens the user's default email client with a pre-filled email when clicked. Instead of navigating to a webpage, clicking a mailto link launches an email application like Outlook, Gmail, or Apple Mail with the recipient address already populated. This protocol has been part of web standards since the early days of the internet and remains one of the most reliable ways to help website visitors contact you directly.

How do mailto links work?

Mailto links use the mailto: URI scheme followed by an email address and optional parameters. When a browser encounters this protocol, it hands off the request to the operating system, which opens the default email handler. The link can include additional parameters separated by ? and & symbols to pre-fill the subject line, body text, CC, and BCC recipients. All special characters in these parameters must be URL-encoded to ensure proper transmission.

Tool description

This tool generates properly formatted mailto links with all available parameters. Enter the recipient email address along with optional CC, BCC, subject, and body fields, and the tool instantly creates a ready-to-use mailto URL. It also provides HTML anchor code that you can copy directly into your website. The generated links are automatically URL-encoded to handle special characters correctly.

Examples

Basic mailto link:

mailto:contact@example.com

With subject and body:

mailto:support@example.com?subject=Help%20Request&body=Hello%2C%20I%20need%20assistance%20with...

With CC and BCC recipients:

mailto:sales@example.com?cc=manager@example.com&bcc=records@example.com&subject=Quote%20Request

Multiple recipients:

mailto:team@example.com,admin@example.com?subject=Team%20Meeting

Features

  • Generate mailto links with recipient, CC, BCC, subject, and body parameters
  • Automatic URL encoding for special characters and spaces
  • Email validation for all address fields
  • Support for multiple comma-separated email addresses
  • One-click copy of generated mailto URL
  • Ready-to-use HTML anchor code output
  • Test button to open email client directly

Use cases

  • Adding contact links to business websites and landing pages
  • Creating email buttons for customer support pages
  • Generating pre-filled feedback or inquiry forms
  • Building email links for digital signatures and email footers
  • Creating shareable links for newsletters or event invitations