UtilibyWritten by the Utiliby editorial team · Last updated October 15, 2026 · Rules and formulas reviewed October 2026
What this free online mailto link generator does
A mailto link lets a visitor start an email to you with one click. It is the simplest way to put a contact link on a page, a signature or a document. The format looks easy, but it is full of traps: spaces and line breaks must be encoded, the ampersand and hash characters can break the link, several recipients must be separated correctly and an HTML attribute needs its own escaping. This free online mailto link generator takes care of all of that. You fill in the To, Cc, Bcc, subject and message boxes and the tool builds a correct mailto link, an HTML email link, a styled email button and a Markdown link.
A live compose window shows how the message will look when the link is clicked, warnings flag invalid addresses and links that are too long, and a decoder reads any existing mailto link back into its parts. You can also hide addresses with HTML entities to make life harder for simple spam robots.
How to create a mailto link step by step
- Pick a template or start blank.
- Enter the recipient. Use commas to add more than one.
- Add Cc, Bcc, a subject and a message if you want them pre-filled.
- Write the link text and choose a text link or a button.
- Check the warnings. Fix invalid addresses and keep the link short.
- Open the Code tab and copy the format you need.
- Test it by clicking the link in the preview.
Mailto link syntax explained
| Part | Example | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Scheme | mailto: | Always first |
| Recipients | [email protected],[email protected] | Separated by commas |
| Start of options | ? | Only once |
| Subject | subject=Hello%20there | Spaces become %20 |
| Cc and Bcc | [email protected]&[email protected] | Joined with & |
| Body | body=Line%201%0D%0ALine%202 | %0D%0A is a line break |
In HTML the ampersand in a link must be written as &. The generator does this in the HTML output, but not in the plain link, which is meant to be pasted into places that do not use HTML.
Special characters that need encoding
| Character | Written as |
|---|---|
| Space | %20 |
| New line | %0D%0A |
| Ampersand & | %26 |
| Question mark | %3F |
| Hash # | %23 |
| Percent % | %25 |
| Plus + | %2B (in the subject and body) |
| Quotes | %22 and %27 |
| Non-English letters | UTF-8 percent codes |
Where to use mailto links
- Contact pages and footers: a quick way to be reached.
- Email signatures: pre-filled subjects such as Book a meeting.
- Share buttons: Share by email with a subject and a page address in the body.
- Feedback and support links: pre-fill a template so messages arrive in a useful shape.
- Newsletters: a Reply with your question button.
- PDF documents and slides: links that start an email from a file.
Best practice for mailto links
- Show the address as text as well, because visitors without a mail program cannot use the link.
- Keep subject lines clear. The Email Subject Line Generator can give you ideas for ones you send yourself.
- Keep the body short and polite, and include prompts for the details you need.
- Use a descriptive link text such as Email our support team, not Click here.
- For public pages that get a lot of traffic, consider a form to limit spam.
- Do not put secrets in the body. The link text is visible in your page source.
Spam robots and your address
Spam robots crawl the web and collect anything that looks like an email address. A plain mailto link is an easy target. Turning on the hide option replaces the characters with HTML entities, which browsers read normally but simple scrapers miss. It is not secure, because a determined robot can decode entities, but it helps. Stronger options are a contact form, a link to your contact page, an image of the address with a text alternative or JavaScript that builds the link when the page loads. Keep a good spam filter and authenticate your own sending with the DMARC and SPF Record Generator. If you need to collect addresses that people have published, the Email Extractor works only on text you give it and should be used only for lawful, permission-based contact. Validate any list with the Email Validator and List Cleaner.
Accessible mailto links
Link text should describe what happens, for example Email our support team. If a button opens an email program, say so, because it surprises some people when a new window appears. Make sure the button has enough color contrast, which this tool checks automatically when it chooses black or white text. If you can, add the visible address nearby and think about a form for people who use webmail or have no mail program.
Quick glossary
- URI: a web address, including addresses that begin with mailto:.
- Percent encoding: writing a character as a percent sign and two digits, such as %20 for a space.
- Query string: the part after the question mark that holds subject, body, Cc and Bcc.
- HTML entity: a code such as @ that a browser shows as a character, used here to hide the @ sign from simple robots.
- Anchor tag: the HTML a element that makes a link.
- Default mail handler: the program or web service a device opens for mailto links.
- Cc and Bcc: copy and blind copy. Everyone sees Cc recipients, but nobody sees Bcc recipients.
- Fallback: a visible address or form for visitors whose device cannot open the link.
Accuracy, limits and responsible use
The tool follows the mailto standard (RFC 6068) and encodes text for use in links. It cannot know which mail program your visitors use, and programs differ in how they handle long links, Bcc and special characters. Test on a few devices. Use the output only for lawful communication.
Frequently asked questions
How do I use this free mailto link generator?
Fill in the recipient, subject and message, and the tool builds the link, an HTML link, an HTML button and a Markdown link. Copy the one you need, or test it with the link in the preview.
Is this mailto link generator really free?
Yes. It is a free online tool with no sign-up. Your details stay in your browser.
What is a mailto link?
A mailto link is a link whose address begins with mailto:. When someone clicks it, their mail program opens a new message to that address.
How do I add a subject and body to a mailto link?
Add a question mark after the address, then subject= and body= parts joined by an ampersand, with spaces written as %20 and new lines as %0D%0A. The generator does this encoding for you.
How do I add several recipients?
Separate the addresses with commas in the To, Cc or Bcc box. The tool joins them in the format that mail programs expect.
How do I add Cc and Bcc to a mailto link?
Add cc= and bcc= parameters after the question mark. The generator adds them when you fill in those boxes. Remember that Bcc addresses are visible in your page source.
How do I put a line break in a mailto body?
Use the code %0D%0A. Type normal line breaks in the body box and the tool converts them.
Why does my mailto link not work?
The visitor may have no mail program set up, or the link may contain unencoded characters such as spaces, ampersands or hash signs, or it may be too long. This tool encodes everything and warns you about length.
How do I make a mailto button?
Choose the Button style and a color. The tool writes an HTML link styled as a button with inline CSS, which also works in email newsletters.
What is the maximum length of a mailto link?
There is no fixed limit, but some browsers and mail programs cut off links over about 2,000 characters. The tool warns you when the link gets long.
Can spam robots find email addresses in mailto links?
Yes, robots read page source. Turning on address hiding converts the link to HTML entities, which stops the simplest robots but not all. A contact form is safer for busy pages.
Should I use a mailto link or a contact form?
Mailto links are quick and need no server, but they depend on the visitor's mail setup and expose your address. A form works for everyone and can reduce spam. Many sites offer both.
Can I decode an existing mailto link?
Yes. Use the Decode a link tab. Paste a link or an HTML anchor and the tool shows the recipients, subject and body, and lets you load them for editing.
Does a plus sign in the address work?
Yes. An address such as [email protected] is valid and the generator keeps the plus sign as it is.
Does it work with Gmail and Outlook?
A mailto link opens whatever program or web handler the visitor has chosen as their default for email, including Outlook, Apple Mail and Gmail in the browser if it is set as the handler.
Can I use the link in an email or a PDF?
Yes. The plain link, the HTML version and the Markdown version can go in web pages, emails, documents and chat tools that support links.
Can I save or print the result?
Yes. Copy any snippet, download all of them in one text file, or print or save a page with the link and checks.
Sources and further reading
- IETF, RFC 6068: The mailto URI Scheme.
- MDN Web Docs, Linking to an email address.
- IETF, RFC 3986: Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) Generic Syntax.
- W3C, Link text that describes its purpose.
- U.S. Federal Trade Commission, CAN-SPAM Act: A compliance guide for business.
Sources were consulted in October 2026. Standards and rules can change, so always check the official page for your situation.