Email, Phone and Download Links in HTML

A link can do more than open a web page.

Email links

mailto: opens the visitor’s email app with your address filled in.

index.html

HTML

<a href="mailto:hello@example.com">Email the shop</a>

You can prefill a subject. Spaces must be written as %20.

index.html

HTML

<a href="mailto:hello@example.com?subject=Book%20order">Ask about an order</a>

tel: starts a call on phones and calling apps. Use the full international number.

index.html

HTML

<a href="tel:+15550100">Call +1 555 0100</a>

The download attribute asks the browser to save the file instead of opening it.

index.html

HTML

<a href="files/reading-list.pdf" download>Download the reading list (PDF)</a>

Tell visitors what they are getting. Include the file type and, for large files, the size.

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Addresses written on a page are collected by bots that send spam. Consider a contact form instead, which you will build in HTML Forms.

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On a phone, wrapping the number in a tel: link lets people call with one tap.