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Mailto links do nothing in Chrome but work in Firefox?

html
prompt-engineering
responsive-design
best-practices
Nikita BarsukovbyNikita Barsukov·Sep 11, 2024
TLDR

To resolve mailto issues in Chrome, ensure the default email client is assigned: access chrome://settings/handlers and allow your email client to manage mailto links. For Gmail users, give permission to Chrome to prompt Gmail to accommodate these links; look out for the handler icon (overlapping diamonds) when you're in Gmail, click it, choose Allow, and Done. If the problem persists, consider clearing the browser cache or resetting the Chrome settings.

General troubleshooting steps

Examine browser extensions

Some browser extensions might alter how mailto links behave. Temporarily disable extensions like pop-up blockers or email handlers, and try the mailto link again.

Default email app in Windows

In Windows 10, ensure that your preferred email client is associated with the MAILTO protocol. Search for Default Programs in the Windows search bar, and tie the MAILTO protocol to your preferred app (🔗 Windows 10 MAILTO protocol association).

When using mailto links in an iframe, use target="_top" to break out of the iframe. It facilitates email client activation correctly:

<a target="_top" href="mailto:[email protected]">Email Us</a> <!--Everyone loves a well-behaved iframe! 😁-->

Set default email client

Ensure you have a default email client in Chrome's settings for mailto links to function. You can designate Gmail as the default handler by accessing chrome://settings/handlers and selecting Gmail as the default. (🔗 Enable Gmail for mailto)

If "email" is missing in handlers

Visit this detailed answer if there is no "email" listed in your handlers to understand steps to manually add a handler.

Configure mail client

Specific configurations might be needed for some desktop mail clients to handle mailto links. Refer to your application's documentation for such settings.