When I use Gmail to send an email, the email signature defined in the settings is automatically added at the bottom of the email. However, when I open a mailto link to send a message, the email signature is not automatically added.

Here's the code:

<a href="mailto:[email protected]?subject=Thanks for your time&body=Hi,%0A%0AIt%20was%20a%20real%20pleasure%20speaking%20with%20you.%20Thank%20you%20for%20your%20time%20and%20we'll%20be%20in%20touch%20soon." target="_blank">test</a>

And there's a JSFiddle here. What do I need to do to make the email signature appear when I'm sending from a mailto link?

When I use Gmail to send an email, the email signature defined in the settings is automatically added at the bottom of the email. However, when I open a mailto link to send a message, the email signature is not automatically added.

Here's the code:

<a href="mailto:[email protected]?subject=Thanks for your time&body=Hi,%0A%0AIt%20was%20a%20real%20pleasure%20speaking%20with%20you.%20Thank%20you%20for%20your%20time%20and%20we'll%20be%20in%20touch%20soon." target="_blank">test</a>

And there's a JSFiddle here. What do I need to do to make the email signature appear when I'm sending from a mailto link?

• javascript
• gmail
• mailto

• @DaniSpringer: tried on both settings, tried on a Chromebook; problem persists. – frenchie Commented Nov 19, 2015 at 12:33
• It works for me with your existing code. Is there a chance Google is seeing the chromebook as a mobile device for some weird reason? Do you have a mobile sig set up as well? – Drazisil Commented Nov 19, 2015 at 14:52
• @DaniSpringer: can you update the fiddle with "a link"? The fiddle has an <a> tag; what do you mean with "a link? – frenchie Commented Nov 19, 2015 at 18:50
• @Drazisil: doesn't work for me, there must be a problem somewhere. – frenchie Commented Nov 19, 2015 at 18:51
• 1 I guess &body= sets the whole body, and unless there is a way to signal that the signature should be added (e.g. &body=etc%20etc%20{signature}) there is no way to acomplish this. – Halil Özgür Commented Dec 3, 2015 at 21:03

3 Answers 3

Using body as a parameter in the mailto link replaces everything that is already placed into the email by Gmail. If body is not part of the attribute from mailto, then the signature works as expected.

Source: I tested this with your fiddle by removing the body attribute and clicked the link again. It works just as you want.

I have to add code to submit this answer with a fiddle, so here is the link that will work with a signature:

<a href="mailto:[email protected]?subject=Thanks for your time" target="_blank">test</a>

Do this (on desktop of course):

http://mail.google.com/mail/?view=cm&fs=1&tf=1&[email protected]&su=Hello%20Dani%20(via%20Stack%20OverFlow)">http://mail.google.com/mail/?view=cm&fs=1&tf=1&[email protected]&su=Hello%20Dani%20(via%20Stack%20OverFlow)

Note:
If you want your gmail signature, you must use gmail.
If you'd like to use a different client, you must make a signature on that client itself.

A workaround for this which could be used in conjunction with above answers:

1. Compose new email, leave it totally blank
2. Save the email as a canned response titled something like "SIG"
3. When clicking a mailto link with a body description, you can go the the last line of the email and insert your SIG canned response to dump your signature in there.