How to Make Email Links Open in Gmail

Introduction

You may have noticed that if you click on an email link (aka "mailto") on a website, it tries to open an email application on your computer, such as OS X Mail, or Microsoft Outlook.

If you want email links to open in Gmail (Google Mail), you need to change a setting in your Internet browser.

This page explains how.

Chrome

Note!

These steps won't work in an Incognito window. You have to set it up in a standard window.

Step	What to Do	How It Looks
1	Log in to your Google mail.
2	Click on the gray diamonds, and select Allow.
3	Click Done.

If this doesn't work, make sure to allow handler requests.

Firefox

Step	What to Do	How It Looks
1	Open Firefox settings.
2	Select Applications from the sidebar.
3	Select mailto in the Content Type list.
4	Click on the drop-down menu, and select Use Gmail.

Internet Explorer

Step	What to Do	How it Looks
1	Install Google Toolbar for Internet Explorer.
2	Click on the wrench on the Google Toolbar. The options window will appear.
3	Scroll down to the Web-browsing tools section.
4	Check the box for Use Gmail for "Mail To" links.
5	Click Save.

Safari

Step	What to Do	How It Looks
1	Open Safari extensions. Apple's extensions site will open.
2	Type "mailto" into the search field, and hit Enter. The Mailto: plugin will appear.
3	Click on Install Now.
4	When prompted, select Gmail from the list of options.
5	Restart Safari.