How to create links to pre-filled email messages - June 18th

Today's lesson is a simple one that can make a big impact. Today I learned how to add some HTML coding to links in an e-mail to create a pre-filled message.

I wanted to create an e-mail to a group with some links that they could click on to send me a pre-filled response. (Basically, I'm trying to get them to RSVP yes or no)

So here's how you do it.


  1. Open the new email and type your message.(I was using Outlook 2007 to write my message today)
  2. Highlight the words that you would like to turn into a link.
  3. Right click the highlighted words and select hyperlink (a window with Insert Hyperlink should open)
  4. Make sure e-mail address is selected on the left side of the window under "Link to:"
  5. Under "e-mail address:", type the address you want the response sent to (when you start typing the computer should add the words "mailto:")
  6. Under "Subject" type the code for the subject and the message. 
    1. with Outlook 2007, you do not have to use code for spaces, otherwise, you may need to type %20 each time you want to add a space.
    2. After you type the subject of your message type &body= then you can type the body of your message
    3. To add a return use the code %0A%0A 
Key:
"%20" = space
"&body=" =body 
"%0A%0A" = hard return

Example: Mailto:brian@anotherlesson.com
a%20Cool%20Message&body=Brian,%0A%0A%0A%0AThank%20you%20so%20much%20for%20showing%20me%20how%20to%20send%20links%20in%20an%20e-mail%20with%20pre-filled%20information.%20You're%20the%20coolest.%20%0A%0A%0A%0AThanks,%0A%0A%0A%0A________

Brian,
This is a test e-mail to show people how to create an e-mail with links.
Click here to send me a cool message 

Click here to send me a funny message  

Thanks,
 Brian

This is what the code looks like for the message above:
Brian,<br />This is a test e-mail to show people how to create an e-mail with links.<br /><a href="mailto:brian@anotherlesson.com?subject=a%20Cool%20Message&amp;body=Brian,%0A%0A%0A%0AThank%20you%20so%20much%20for%20showing%20me%20how%20to%20send%20links%20in%20an%20e-mail%20with%20pre-filled%20information.%20You're%20the%20coolest.%20%0A%0A%0A%0AThanks,%0A%0A%0A%0A________">Click here to send me a cool message</a><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>
<br />
<br />
<a href="mailto:brain@anotherlesson.com?subject=a%20funny%20message&amp;body=Brian,%0A%0A%0A%0AWhy%20did%20the%20chicken%20cross%20the%20road?%0A%0A%20because%20he%20needed%20to%20send%20a%20link%20in%20an%20e-mail.%0A%0A%0A%0AThanks,%20%0A%0A%0A%0A_______">Click here to send me a funny message</a><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>Thanks,<br /><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>Brian</blockquote>


Lesson Learned: It's not too hard to send a link to a pre-filled e-mail message when you know the codes.


Be sure to check out the website that my son and I a re working on together: www.awesomestuffhq.com