mailto: URI
An email that writes itself.
An email code opens a fresh message with the recipient, subject and body prepared. It removes the two things that stop people writing: finding the address, and deciding what to say.
live example — scannable
Payload format
The mailto: URI
Email codes use mailto:, the same scheme behind an email link on a web page. Subject and body are percent-encoded query parameters, which is what lets them contain spaces and punctuation safely.
mailto:hello@example.com?subject=Enquiry- mailto:
- The scheme, followed immediately by the recipient address.
- ?subject=
- Percent-encoded subject line. Spaces become %20.
- &body=
- Percent-encoded message body, prefilled and editable.
How to make one
Address, then the useful extras
- 01
Enter the address
The only required field. Everything else is optional.
- 02
Add a subject
A consistent subject makes filtering and routing far easier later.
- 03
Prefill the body
Include whatever you always end up asking for anyway.
Where it earns its keep
Where a prepared email helps
- A support sticker on equipment, quoting the serial number in the subject.
- A job advert, with the role title already in the subject line.
- A feedback card, where the body prompts the three things you want to know.
- A property sign, prefilled with the listing reference.
Questions
Email QR codes, answered
Does it send the email automatically?
No. It opens a draft in the person's email app. They read it, edit it if they want, and send it themselves.
Why do spaces show as %20 in the payload?
That is percent-encoding, required for a URI. Every mail client decodes it back to a normal space — the raw form only looks odd because we show you the literal payload.
What if someone has no email app configured?
Most phones open the default mail app or prompt to pick one. On a device with none set up, nothing will happen — worth considering if your audience is mainly webmail users on desktop.
How long can the body be?
Technically long, but a large body makes a dense code that is harder to scan. Keep it to a few short lines and let the person write the rest.