Is there anyone experiencing problems with email links (i.e. mailto:). I've maintained several websites for seven years now and when I built them (using CoffeeCup HTML Editor) I used that email link tag with success, my email host would popup and display the recipients address, the subject and the text area. Now, when I click on any of those address links nothing happens, I installed MS Office and now Windows tries to install Outlook (I don't like it); My email is thru Google and I have Thunderbird installed yet both seem to be ignored. Not sure what is causing this, I tested this on my Windows 8.1 computer and it brings up the gmail host with no problem, yet seems to be blocked on my Windows 7 computer.

One of the sites in question is: http://s-a-m-s.org/contact.php. You'll notice this page has 80+ email links!

Any ideas are appreciated. This is causing a lot of frustration!.

Thank you
Greg

That is the #1 reason why to never use a mailto Greg. If someone does not have a default email client, it will not work. Another big issue is you are opening yourself up to SPAM. Scripts troll websites for email address like that.

For both of those reasons, use a contact form and for that you can use our Web Form Builder.

Hi Scott;
Well... I do have Web Form Builder but I must be missing something because I can't find how to set it up for over 80+ links? Is there a way, or do I need to look into PHP?

Greg

You will have some work to do there. You will need to remove all those links and replace them with the form markup.

Yeahhhh ..... ya lost me there. I'm self-taught, and only know what I read. That's why the web site I mentioned above looks simplistic and amateurish. I got some heavy reading to do.


Greg

Try refreshing your page Greg (unless you already fixed it that is) as all the links are working just fine for me on that page you linked in the first post.

Also, yes you can do those 80 emails into a contact form. Security wise there would be no benefit to using a CC form, because the email addresses are exposed in the code so they are accessible to spammers making it no more secure than using links as you are doing now. There is supposed to be an update coming sometime in the future that is supposed to remedy the issue of email addresses being exposed in the code when using the Web Form Builder. Once that updated version is released Web Form Builder forms will safeguard all those email addresses.

But .... usability wise, there is a great benefit to using a CC form, because as Scott already mentioned, your users without email client cannot use the links. Many people don't have email clients on their computers so those email links you currently have on your page are useless to them. Those that do *coughs at Scott* webmail *coughs* and don't install email clients will get no benefit of your linked system as it is right now.

I would highly suggest, even with knowing it's no more secure at the moment, that you create your form to help those that do not have the email clients installed. You'll be one step closer to that security issue being resolved then when the new update is released. Usually for updates you only need to open the forms in the web form builder and save them. Not sure if it will be the same on this update, we may need to do something extra, but that's not usually the case anyways. If things follow the way they have you'll open the .fb file, save it and upload the files same as you did before so they overwrite those existing on the site. Updates to Form Builder are usually that simple so it would be worth getting that form built now so you help your visitors better.

To create a contact form for your page and you would use a Drop Down List element. Once you add the element you will see a checkbox on the properties part of that element which gives you the ability to make it a Contact List. Here's a link to a CC article that helps explain how to set this up in the addresses part.:
http://www.coffeecup.com/help/articles/ … m-builder/

I have no mail client installed, but my Gmail account opens fine when I click on a mail link...

I don't think you have to have an email client installed. You just have to be able to set the default email program for your computer. If Gmail is set as the default in your computer, then that's what is used. However, many people don't have a default set.

JoAnn's suggestion is probably the easiest. Set up a drop-down as the contact list. You can find instructions here:
http://www.coffeecup.com/help/articles/contact-lists-in-web-form-builder/

If you want some help implementing it, email me at support@usconsumernet.org