The Ultimate Mailto Syntax Cheat Sheet

Need a mailto link fast? Don’t memorize the syntax—just copy and paste.

This cheat sheet covers every valid parameter and common combination for mailto: links.

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⚡️ Quick Reference Table

Parameter	Syntax	Example
Recipient	mailto:email	mailto:[email protected]
Subject	?subject=text	?subject=Feedback
Body	&body=text	&body=Hello
CC	&cc=email	&[email protected]
BCC	&bcc=email	&[email protected]

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📋 Copy-Paste Templates

1. Basic Link (Subject Only)

<a href="mailto:[email protected]?subject=Hello%20World">Email Me</a>

2. Multi-Line Body

Use %0A for line breaks. Two %0As create a paragraph break.

<a href="mailto:[email protected]?subject=Help&body=Hi%20Team,%0A%0AI%20need%20help%20with...">Contact Support</a>

3. Multiple Recipients

Use commas (,) to separate addresses.

<a href="mailto:[email protected],[email protected]?subject=Meeting">Email Team</a>

4. The “All-In-One” (To + CC + BCC + Subject + Body)

<a href="mailto:[email protected][email protected]&[email protected]&subject=Project%20Update&body=Here%20is%20the%20update.">Send Full Email</a>

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⚠️ Vital Syntax Rules

1. The “Question Mark” Rule

• The first parameter must start with ?
• All subsequent parameters must start with &

Wrong: mailto:[email protected]&subject=Hi
Right: mailto:[email protected]?subject=Hi

2. URL Encoding (Don’t Break Your Links)

You strictly cannot use spaces or special characters in the URL.

Character	Encoded
Space	%20
Line Break	%0A
&	%26
?	%3F

Pro Tip: Don’t manually encode complex messages. Use our Free Generator to handle the heavy lifting perfectly every time.

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📱 Mobile Quirks

• iOS Mail: Handles commas correctly for multiple recipients.
• Gmail App: Sometimes ignores body if it’s too long. Keep it short.
• Android: Most default clients support all parameters, but behavior varies by vendor (Samsung vs. Pixel).

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I add an attachment via code? A: No. The mailto protocol does not support attachments for security reasons. See our Attachments Guide for workarounds.

Q: Is there a character limit? A: Yes. Aim to keep URLs under 2,000 characters to ensure they work in Outlook.

Q: Can I use HTML in the body? A: No. Mailto supports plain text only. HTML tags like <b> or <br> will show up as raw text.

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