Developer
Mailto Link Generator
Fill in the fields and the mailto link, HTML code and optional QR code update as you type.
Processed on your device — nothing is sent anywhere.
Works in your browser. No account needed.
Frequently asked questions
What is a mailto link?
A mailto link is a link that starts with mailto: instead of https://. Clicking it opens the visitor’s email app with a new message addressed to you, and it can also fill in the subject, the body and Cc or Bcc recipients. It is defined by the internet standard RFC 6068 and is supported by all major browsers and email apps.
How are spaces and line breaks encoded?
Following RFC 6068, spaces become %20 and line breaks in the body become %0D%0A. Characters with a special meaning in the link, such as &, ?, = and #, are percent-encoded so they reach the email as typed, and a plus sign becomes %2B so no app can mistake it for a space. Plus signs inside addresses, as in name+tag@example.com, are left as they are.
Can I add a display name like Jane Doe <jane@example.com>?
No. The mailto standard only allows bare addresses, so the tool keeps the address and drops the name. You can paste addresses in the Name <address> form and they are cleaned up for you. Several addresses can be separated with commas or semicolons.
Why does nothing happen when I click the link?
A mailto link needs an email app set as the default on that device. On a computer without one, or when Gmail or Outlook is only used in a browser, the click may do nothing or open an app that is not set up. You can make a webmail service the default mail handler in your browser settings. For a contact page, it helps to show the address as text too, so visitors can copy it.
Is there a length limit?
The standard sets none, but browsers and email apps do. Links of a few thousand characters can be cut off, so the tool warns you above 2,000 characters. Keep bodies to a short prompt or template rather than a full letter.
Can a mailto link add an attachment or HTML formatting?
No. The standard only defines plain-text bodies, and most email apps ignore attachment parameters for security reasons. Put a link to the file in the body instead.
About this tool
This mailto link generator builds email links that open a ready-to-send message. Enter the recipient, add Cc and Bcc addresses if needed, type a subject and a body, and three outputs update as you type: the raw mailto: link, an HTML <a> tag ready to paste into a web page or newsletter, and an optional QR code that opens the same email when scanned with a phone. The Test button opens the link in your own email app so you can check the result before publishing it.
Most mailto mistakes come from encoding. HTML forms and many quick scripts turn spaces into plus signs, which some email apps show as literal + characters, and an unescaped & in a subject silently cuts it short because & separates the fields. This tool follows RFC 6068, the standard for mailto links: spaces are written as %20, line breaks as %0D%0A, reserved characters are percent-encoded, and plus signs in addresses are left alone so subaddresses like name+newsletter@example.com still work. In the HTML version, the & between fields is written as &, as HTML requires.
Common uses include contact and support links that fill in a subject so emails are easy to sort, feedback or bug-report links that prompt for the details you need, unsubscribe and request addresses for mailing lists, and QR codes on posters, flyers or product packaging that open a pre-written enquiry. Everything is built in your browser, so the addresses you type are not sent anywhere.
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