Free QR Code Generator for Email - QR Code to Email

What Is a mailto: Link?

A mailto: link is a hyperlink using the mailto: URI scheme defined in RFC 6068. Tapping the link opens the visitor's default email application (Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail, Thunderbird, whatever they use) with a new message already addressed to you. The most basic format is mailto:[email protected]. You can extend it with query parameters to pre-fill the subject and body: mailto:[email protected]?subject=Website%20inquiry&body=Hi%20there. The generator above handles the URL-encoding automatically so spaces and special characters in your subject and body do not break the link.

How to Create a mailto: Link with Subject and Body

The three-step version:

1. Enter the email address, subject line, and body text in the generator above.
2. Click Generate.
3. Copy the resulting mailto: URL, or grab the HTML snippet ready to paste into your site.

Difference Between an Email Link and a mailto: URL

People often use "email link" and "mailto: URL" interchangeably, but the terms describe slightly different things. An email link is any clickable element on a page that leads to email contact. That could be a mailto: hyperlink, a button that opens a contact form, a link to Gmail's web compose URL (https://mail.google.com/mail/?view=cm&[email protected]), or a link to Outlook's deep link. A mailto: URL is specifically the mailto:[email protected] URI scheme that hands off to whatever email client the visitor has configured as default. The generator above produces a mailto: URL because it is the most universal option: it works across every operating system and email client without depending on a specific vendor's webmail deep link.

Gmail vs Generic Mail Link: How Do They Differ?

A generic mailto: link (mailto:[email protected]) opens whatever email app the visitor has set as default. On a phone with Gmail installed that is usually Gmail. On a Windows PC with Outlook it is Outlook. That is a strength (works everywhere) and a weakness (you cannot control which client opens).

If you want to force Gmail's web compose window regardless of the visitor's default client, use a Gmail-specific URL: https://mail.google.com/mail/?view=cm&fs=1&[email protected]&su=Subject&body=Message. This opens the Gmail compose interface in a browser tab (assuming the visitor is signed in). The tradeoff: visitors who prefer Outlook or Apple Mail will still get pushed into Gmail's web UI. For most sites the generic mailto: link is the better default; use the Gmail deep link only when you know your audience is Gmail-heavy.

How to Add CC and BCC to a mailto: Link

The mailto: URI scheme supports cc and bcc as query parameters. Add them alongside subject and body:

mailto:[email protected][email protected]&[email protected]&subject=Hello&body=Message

Separate multiple addresses with a comma inside the same parameter: [email protected],[email protected]. Some older email clients ignore cc and bcc silently, so always test the link in the clients your audience actually uses before shipping it as your primary contact channel. The generator above focuses on the most-used parameters (to, subject, body). If you need CC or BCC, you can extend the generated URL by hand or use the pattern above as a template.

Where to Use Your Email Link

• Website contact page: paste the HTML snippet as a "Send us an email" button.
• Email signature: a mailto: link in your signature makes it one tap for replies to loop in a colleague or start a fresh thread.
• Instagram bio: paste the mailto: URL into the website field so followers can reach you without switching apps.
• Business card or product packaging: pair the address with a scannable email QR code so people can email you without typing.
• Google Business profile: add the mailto: link in your business description or posts.
• Newsletter footer or PDF: use a formatted mailto: link with a pre-filled subject so replies are pre-sorted by topic (e.g. "Sales inquiry" vs "Support").

Email Link Not Working?

If your mailto: link is not opening the visitor's email client, check these common causes:

• No default mail client set on desktop: on a laptop with no configured mail app, clicking a mailto: link may do nothing or show a "no app to handle this link" prompt. Modern operating systems let visitors set Gmail, Outlook Web, or Apple Mail as the default handler.
• Special characters not URL-encoded: manually built links often break because a subject like "Question about pricing & availability" contains an ampersand that terminates the query string early. The generator above handles encoding automatically. If you hand-edit the link, remember to encode spaces as %20, ampersands as %26, and question marks as %3F.
• Link inside an iframe: some browsers block mailto: links from sandboxed iframes. If your site embeds contact widgets, make sure the mailto: link lives in the top-level page.
• Web-based email clients not registered: Gmail and Outlook Web can register themselves as default mailto: handlers, but the visitor has to accept the permission prompt. Users who dismissed the prompt see nothing when they click your link.
• Long body text truncated: some clients cap the body query parameter length. Keep the pre-filled body short (a sentence or two) and let the visitor write the rest.

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