What happens if the visitor doesn't have a mail app configured on their device?

A mailto link relies on a default mail app being configured on the device (like Outlook, Apple Mail, or even Gmail as a browser extension). If none is set up, the browser may show an error or do nothing at all.

Email Tools5 min read

Mailto Links: How to Make Your "Email Us" Button Open With a Ready Subject

Q: Can I add more than one recipient in the same link?

Yes, you can separate multiple addresses in the 'To' field with a comma, and all of them will appear as primary recipients of the message.

Q: Is the pre-filled text editable by the recipient?

Yes, completely — the text and subject are just default values shown ready-made, but the person sending the message can freely edit them before sending.

Q: Is a mailto link safe, with no security risk?

Yes, completely safe, since it's just a link that opens the user's local mail app with pre-filled information, and doesn't send any data to an external server or collect anything about the visitor.

A "Contact us" button that opens the mail app directly, with the subject and body already filled in, saves your website's visitors several steps. The technical solution behind that button is remarkably simple and available to anyone, with no complex programming required.

What is a mailto link?

A mailto link is a special type of link that starts with "mailto:" instead of "https://", and when clicked, opens the default mail app on the device (like Outlook or Apple Mail) instead of a web page. You can add extra parameters to the link to automatically fill in message fields before the user starts typing.

The parameters you can control

To: the primary recipient's address.
CC: additional recipients visible to everyone.
BCC: additional recipients hidden from other recipients.
Subject: the message title, pre-filled.
Body: the default message content, editable before sending.

Common uses

The most common use is a "Contact us" button on an official website page, with the subject pre-filled (like "Website inquiry") to make sorting incoming messages easier for you. Another common use is a "Send this page to a friend" link in articles, or a support link with basic system information pre-filled in the subject.

How to build one without writing code

Using the Mailto Link Generator on Fawran Tools:

Fill in the recipient's email in the "To" field (required).
Add CC or BCC if you need additional recipients (optional).
Write the subject and body text you want to appear automatically.
Click "Generate link" — you'll get a ready link plus HTML code ready to paste directly into your site.

Try the Mailto Link Generator now

Ready link + HTML code, no coding required

Open the tool

Limits of the link you should know

A mailto link relies entirely on the visitor having a mail app configured on their device. Users who rely entirely on webmail (like opening Gmail from the browser with no dedicated app) might find the link doesn't behave as expected, or opens a prompt to choose an app they don't actually have installed.

Frequently asked questions

What happens if the visitor doesn't have a mail app configured?

A mailto link relies on a default mail app configured on the device. If none is set up, the browser may show an error or do nothing.

Can I add more than one recipient in the same link?

Yes, you can separate multiple addresses in the "To" field with a comma, and they'll all appear as primary recipients.

Is the pre-filled text editable by the recipient?

Yes, completely — the text and subject are just defaults, and the sender can freely edit them before sending.

Is a mailto link safe, with no security risk?

Yes, completely safe, since it just opens the user's local mail app with pre-filled info, and sends nothing to an external server.

Conclusion

A mailto link is a simple, fast solution for making it easier for your site's visitors to reach you, with no need for a complex contact form or extra code — one minute is enough to create a professional link ready to use anywhere on your site.