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Links and navigation: Links to email addresses

Websites often provide the option of making contact by email; the webmaster's email address is listed at the bottom of the page or an email link is found in the contact details, along with the postal and visiting address.

An email link is a link that opens a new message window in the visitor's email programme. The visitor can then write the message and mail it himself. This is not the same thing as a contact form on a website, where the visitor can enter his details on a form, after which this information is sent to the addressee by email behind the scenes.

Guidelines for email links

The email address is visible in the link text.

The email address where the message will be sent must be visible in the link text, for the following reasons:

  • Sometimes visitors are unable to send a message directly. Computers in, for instance, a public library or a school, do not contain email programmes, or they have not been set up for individual users.
  • Many web users use (online) email services, like Hotmail or Yahoo Mail. Often these do not use programmes, but are operated through a website in the browser.
  • Some browsers and email programmes simply do not understand the mailto protocol.

Such visitors will want to write down the email address or copy it so that they can send a message later or in a different way. Visitors for whom an email link does work have the advantage that it becomes clear to them that the link is an email link and that following it will open their email programme.

Links to email addresses: the email address to which the message is addressed must be visible in the link text.

Guideline R-pd.8.16

email addresses on websites and spam

Unfortunately it happens quite a lot: email addresses on websites soon end up receiving unsolicited email messages.

These addresses are often harvested by so-called spam robots, programmes that scour the Web – in a similar way to search spiders – looking for email addresses. Since these are automatic systems, web developers can outsmart them. There are methods to encode email addresses on websites to make them invisible to most spam robots. However, these methods can make the address inaccessible to some legitimate visitors. Moreover the methods tend to be temporary at best as spam robots ‘improve’ as well.

It is recommended that no technical measures be taken on the website to hide an email address from spam robots. Spam should be dealt with through the legal system or by means of filters on mail servers and on the computers of the recipients of this email. Do not let it impede visitor access to the site.

Do not apply any technical measures to the website to hide an email address from spam robots.

Guideline R-pd.8.18

Publishing visitors' email addresses

Extreme caution should be used when publishing email addresses of site visitors, for example in a guest book. Tell the visitor which information will be published on the site and what the possible consequences are, or do not publish the visitor's email address.

Visitors value respect for their privacy highly. Openness concerning what happens to a visitor's personal data is required in accordance with the Personal Data Protection Act.

Be extremely cautious when publishing email addresses of visitors to the website. Inform the visitor of which information will be published on the site, or do not publish the visitor's email address.

Guideline R-pd.8.19

A contact form is a good alternative to showing an email address on a website. Using this method, the email procedure occurs on the web server and is not handled by the browser. As a result, email addresses remain invisible for visitors and spam robots.

(Explanation)


Web Guidelines version 1.3, November 2007.