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Mailto button

Create a button that opens a pre-filled email draft when clicked.

Updated over 2 weeks ago

How the Mailto Button Works

When you add a Button and set the Link Type to Send Email, Knak creates a clickable button.

When someone clicks the button:

  • Their default email client opens

  • A draft email appears

  • The draft includes the email address, subject line, and message body you configured

This makes it easy for users to contact you with pre-filled information.


Configure a Mailto Button

Step 1: Add a Button

  1. Drag a Button element into your layout.

    Adding a Mail to button
  2. Click the button to open the settings panel.

    Button settings panel

Step 2: Set the Link Type

  1. In the sidebar, locate Link Type.

  2. Select Send Email.

    Setting the link type to send email

Step 3: Configure Email Details

After selecting Send Email, configure the following fields:

  • Mail To – Enter the recipient’s email address.

  • Subject – Enter the email subject line.

  • Body – Enter the message content that should appear in the draft.

When clicked, the button opens a draft email with this information pre-filled.

Draft email with prefilled content

Tips for Configuring Your Send Email Button

Message Length Limits (Outlook for Windows)

Microsoft Outlook for Windows has a character limit for clickable links.

Keep the combined Subject and Body under 1,250 characters.

If you exceed this limit, Outlook may not open the draft email window.

Link Tracking

It is not recommended to enable tracking on Mailto buttons.

Tracking can interfere with how email clients process the link. This may prevent the draft from opening.

You can disable Platform Link Tracking in the sidebar by clicking the tracking icon.

platform link tracking disable toggle.

If this option is not available in your instance, contact your Customer Success Manager (CSM) or Knak Support.

For more technical details, review this external resource:
Stop Trying to Track Mailto Links If You Want Them to Work

Yahoo Mail Behavior

Yahoo Mail removes line breaks from pre-filled draft emails.

This affects:

  • Yahoo Mail in a web browser

  • Yahoo Mail app for iOS

The Yahoo Mail app for Android supports line breaks. Write your message so it remains clear even without line breaks.


Best Practices

  • Keep your subject line short and clear.

  • Keep your message simple and readable without formatting.

  • Avoid special characters when possible.

  • Test the button in multiple email clients before publishing.


Need more help? Contact support via live chat using the chat bubble in the bottom right corner or email support@knak.com.

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