Javascript location.href to mailto triggers a GET HTTP that gets canceled in Chrome

Question

I have a button that triggers the following javascript function:

function sendEmail() {
    var mail = 'mailto:[email protected]';
    location.href = mail;
};

In Chrome, this function triggers an HTTP GET to 'mailto:[email protected]', but the HTTP GET has a 'canceled' status in the Inspect Element Network tab, and the email client is not opened.

In IE, the email client also does not get opened.

How can I get the email client to open?

Peroxide

Answer 1

It works for me. But you can try this

function sendEmail() {
    var mail = 'mailto:[email protected]';
    var a = document.createElement('a');
    a.href = mail;
    document.body.appendChild(a); // Add to the DOM
    a.click();
    document.body.removeChild(a); // Remove it back
};

Counterman

I tried your function but get the same 'canceled' from Chrome. – Arbitrary

Have you configured the default mail client? It also happens when the proper URI handler is not found in the OS – Counterman

Yes, it was a problem of the default email client not configured. Thank you very much. – Arbitrary

In some situations (until now I can't figure out when and when not) I run in the same problem and Chrome ignores the location.href = "mailto:[email protected]". @Салман: Your solution fixed my problem with Chrome (v39), but unfortunately it doesn't work with Firefox (v35) and IE11. Any thought on how to fix this except of a browser depending switch? – Arathorn

@Arathorn See updated code, FF doesn't honor anchor if it hasn't been added to the DOM. So You could add it, simulate the click and remove it back. – Counterman