Complete Guide to Mailto Links in 2026
A mailto link is an HTML hyperlink that opens the user's default email client with pre-filled fields. When someone clicks a mailto link on a webpage, Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail, or any other email client opens — ready to send. No copy-pasting required.
This tool generates perfect mailto links and their HTML code instantly. Fill in the fields above and copy the result. No encoding required — this tool handles all special characters automatically.
What Is a Mailto Link?
A mailto link uses the mailto: URL scheme. It is part of the standard HTML specification. Unlike a regular URL that opens a webpage, a mailto URL opens an email composition window.
Here is the simplest possible mailto link:
Mailto Link Format — Full Syntax
The full mailto format supports five parameters. Each parameter is separated by & and the first parameter starts with ?:
Parameter Reference
URL Encoding — Why It Matters
Special characters like spaces, question marks, and line breaks cannot appear raw inside a URL. They must be percent-encoded. This tool handles all encoding automatically. But it helps to understand the basics:
- Space →
%20 - New line →
%0A - ? →
%3F - & →
%26 - = →
%3D
If you type "Hello World" in the Subject field, this tool automatically converts it to Hello%20World in the output.
Mailto Link with CC and BCC
Adding CC and BCC recipients is simple. The CC field sends a visible copy to another address. The BCC field sends a hidden copy. Both use the same parameter format:
Mailto Link Without a Recipient
In rare cases, you may want a mailto link that opens an email client without a pre-filled recipient. This is useful when you want users to address the email themselves. The format is:
Note: Some email clients may handle this inconsistently. Always test before publishing.
How to Add a Mailto Link in HTML
Once you have generated the mailto URL using this tool, insert it into an HTML anchor tag. The href attribute contains the full mailto link. The text between the tags becomes the clickable link text:
Mailto Links and Spam Bots
Placing a plain email address in your HTML source code exposes it to spam bots that crawl the web. A mailto link alone does not fully protect your email. For better protection, combine it with JavaScript obfuscation or use a contact form for public-facing pages.
For testing and quick access, use a Temp To Mail disposable address in your development and testing workflows to keep your real inbox clean.
Browser and Email Client Support
Mailto links are supported in all modern browsers and email clients. When a user clicks a mailto link, the browser hands off the URL to the default email application registered on the device. On mobile, this opens the native Mail app. On desktop, it opens the default email client such as Outlook, Apple Mail, or Thunderbird.
Users who rely solely on webmail (like Gmail or Yahoo Mail in a browser) may not have a default desktop email client set up. In this case, some browsers prompt the user to choose an application. This is normal behavior and not a bug.