# ADD link to email me from from web page???



## BKAYC (Nov 8, 2004)

HI Everyone!
I just found this site, Alot of Great stuff!!
I hope some one can help me, I'm building my first web site and I would like to add a link so they can email me from there...I sure could use the instructions! 
Thanks alot, 
warmest wishes Brenda


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## xpspecial (Aug 12, 2003)

Try this page from HTML Goodies . (an example of how to add a link to a webpage for email can be found near the middle of the page)


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## BKAYC (Nov 8, 2004)

*Thanks XP*

Thanks alot XP
going there now,
warmest wishes Brenda


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## Mr.TechSupport (Nov 12, 2004)

BKAYC said:


> HI Everyone!
> I just found this site, Alot of Great stuff!!
> I hope some one can help me, I'm building my first web site and I would like to add a link so they can email me from there...I sure could use the instructions!
> Thanks alot,
> warmest wishes Brenda



Just Use this


```
[quote]<a href="mailto:[email protected]">Mail Me</a>[/quote]
```
This cud help you


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## The Bee (Dec 9, 2004)

The problem with the "mailto" HTML tag is that it exposes your email address. Even if it's not visible on your web page, it is in your HTML, and spammers have bots that search the web collecting email addresses from HTML files. So if you use the "mailto" tag, expect to receive more and more spam. 

There are at least a couple solutions that don't expose your email address in such a way that bots can get it. 

1. Create a picture and "draw" your email address in the picture. You know what I mean? On your page, just say "you can email me at this address: " and put the picture there. See the attachment for an example. But when you draw your address, use your paint program's text tool so you it doesn't look like a first grader's picture like my example :smile: 

2. Get a free tool from http://htmlgear.lycos.com/specs/feed.html which provides you with a button you can put on your web site. When a user clicks on that button, it takes them to the htmlgear website where they can write you a message, and htmlgear sends the email to you. No one sees your email address at all. I use that on my web site and you can check it out at http://www.lazysummerhome.com

Those might be a little advanced if you're just doing your very first HTML. But you can look into them later if you want to avoid the spam problem.


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## KimberlyTeed (Jan 6, 2005)

The Bee is right on, _"The problem with the "mailto" HTML tag is that it exposes your email address."_ ... you'll receive sooo much spam ... I've found that the scripts that 'hide' your address only work for a short while, eventually the spiders figure the scripts out ...

I have found the best way is to write it something like ...
kt AT teedsters DOT com : kt<at>teedsters<dot>com : [email protected]+teedsters+.+com
... be creative  

This way people can copy, paste, and edit in an e-mail screen ...

Good luck with your new site!


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## jaydax (Jan 8, 2005)

*Don't use mailto:*

I agree with The Bee. Add an e-mail link to your site and you'll get way too much spam!
I use a short JavaScript to hide the e-mail addresses at my site. On a web page it appears and works as normal but e-mail harvesting programs can't see it.
You can get the JavaScript free at http://www.u.arizona.edu/~trw/spam/spam4.htm
You might also look at http://www.bestprac.org/articles/spam_bots.htm for a more detailed explanation of why you shouldn't use a mailto: link.


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## RedAndy (Jan 16, 2005)

*Accesible email*

Hi,
<$0.02>
the best solution is to use solution number two by The Bee ( even though the page with the form is not all that great ). All the rest have major accesibility issues - are you going to provide and alt text for that image of your email adress or just block everyone that either can't view images or chooses not to? Javascript has very similar issues, more and more people seem to be turning off Javascript in their browsers and any solution that relies on it should provide an alternative. 
</$0.02>

Most of the time displaying your email adress is not that much of an issue IMHO and spam-aware email handlers will deal with it for you - either on your ISP, webmail provider or something like Thunderbird.

Have fun :smile: 

Andy

- added - If you are worried about stuffing up your main adress with spam then get another account, if it's a personal site you're running then a hotmail, yahoo etc account would do, if You're running a business and have a domain then use [email protected] instead and filter it accordingly. HTH


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