How to Set Your Default Email Handler in Chrome

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This guide tackles the problem of email links in your browser opening the wrong email client, like an Outlook link opening when you use Gmail.

Fixing the issue with Google Chrome

Change the default email handler:

  1. Open Chrome and click the three dots menu icon in the top right corner
  2. Go to "Settings"
  3. Click "Privacy and security"
  4. And then click "Site Settings"
  5. Scroll down and expand "Additional permissions" > "Protocol handlers"
  6. Ensure "Sites can ask to handle protocols" is enabled (blue dot)

Set your preferred email client as the default handler: 

(In this example, we are using Gmail)

  1. Visit Gmail in Chrome
  2. Click the double-diamond icon next to the address bar (if available)
  3. Click "Allow" to let Gmail open email links
  4. Click "Done"

Note: If the icon is missing, Gmail already has permission.

Verify permission: 

  1. Go to the three dots menu
  2. Navigate to Settings Privacy and security > Site Settings > Additional Permissions > "Protocol handlers"
  3. Check if "mail.google.com" is set for the default email protocol

If the above method does not work

You may need to check first the configuration for email protocol in either Windows or macOS, depending on what you use.

Windows

  1. From the Start menu, open Settings (gear icon) > Apps > Default apps
  2. Click the email icon and set Google Chrome as the default "Email" app
  3. Then, go back to the Start menu, select Settings > Apps > Default Apps
  4. Scroll to the bottom of the list and select "Choose default apps by protocol"
  5. Find the "MAILTO" protocol and set Google Chrome as the default app

Mac

  1. Open Mail app. Go to "Settings" or "Preferences" from the Mail menu
  2. In "General", choose your desired email app from the "Default email reader" menu
  3. If your app isn't listed, choose "Select" and select it from the file dialog

Then, you can repeat the steps described at the beginning to Allow the Site Handler in Google Chrome and Set the Gmail Site to Handle the Email Protocol.

Using mailto links in Happeo

The mailto: function allows you to open an email draft directly from a link. In some environments, however, mailto: links do not always behave consistently across browsers, widgets, or embedded elements. This can lead to links not opening the expected email client or failing entirely.

To avoid these issues, we recommend using a Gmail-based URL format instead of a standard mailto: link when adding email links to certain areas of the platform.

When this matters

You may experience inconsistent behavior when using mailto: links in places such as:

  • Banner widgets.

  • Image links.

  • Happeo Launcher.

  • Other embedded or interactive elements.

Using the alternative format below helps ensure the email composer opens reliably.

Recommended format

Instead of using: mailto:sample@email.com

Use the following format:

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/fs=1&tf=cm&source=mailto&to=firstname.lastname@yourorg.com

Replace the sample email (firstname.lastname) and text (yourorg.com).

🗒️  Note: This format opens the Gmail compose window directly and provides more consistent behavior across browsers and embedded contexts.

Best practice

  • Use standard mailto: links only in simple text-based links where browser handling is predictable.

  • Use the Gmail URL format for banners, images, widgets, or navigation elements where reliability is critical.

  • Test email links after publishing to ensure they behave as expected in your browser and environment.

 

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