Set Gmail as Default for Email Links in Webpages

Often you want to click on an email address link in a webpage to send an email. By default it will open your local email client (ie. Thunderbird), but it is possible to set Firefox to use Gmail as the default email client, so all messages go through Gmail.

1. Launch Firefox (note this only works in Firefox, not Safari, not Internet Explorer)

2. Navigate to your Gmail account at http://gmail.umn.edu

3. Login to Gmail

4. Copy and paste the code below into the Firefox address bar and hit enter (in the same window your Gmail is open in)

javascript:window.navigator.registerProtocolHandler("mailto","https://mail.google.com/a/umn.edu/mail/?extsrc=mailto&url=%s","GMail")

5. Click the 'Add Application' button that appears in the top right.

Now all email links should open in Gmail. Thanks to Will Bear, IT Manager in Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, for these instructions.

Please contact the CLA-OIT Service Desk at 624-4357 or help@cla.umn.edu for assistance with this, or other Google Apps questions.