Setting GMail as the Default Email Client

Owned by Ross Davis
Last updated: Nov, 03, 2014 by Phelipe Graske
2 min read

Background -

In many websites a "Mailto:" link exists to provide an easy way to email a given user without the need to open your mail client and then type in the email address.  In these cases, an email address appears as a link on the web page.  Embedded in this link is a special "Mailto:" statement.  This phrase is interpreted by your computer as a command to open your default email client and to insert the associated email address.  

The Knox Directory is one such example of web page with these links.

The Problem -

Mailto: links work quite well with non-web base email clients - Outlook, Thunderbird, Mac Mail.  When one clicks a Mailto: link the default client opens and the email address autofills in the To: field.

Email web based clients - GMail as prime example -  do not function in the same fashion.  These clients require additional software - called extensions - to allow for the Mailto: function to work.  Note that these software extensions are browser specific.

The Fix -

As GMail is a Google product, we recommend using Google Chrome as your default browser.  The following instructions are for Google Chrome.

  1. If not already present, download and install Google Chrome
  2. Open Chrome
  3. Go to the following link: Send from GMail Extension
  4. Click the Free button to install the extension



  5. The extension will be installed
  6. Close and restart Chrome
  7. Open and sign into My.Knox.Edu
  8. Click on E-mail  NOTE:  YOU MUST BE SIGNED INTO GMAIL FOR THE EXTENSION TO WORK PROPERLY
  9. You should now be able to use Mailto: links




 

 

For assistance with an issue, please contact the Knox College ITS Help Desk.
Log into MyKnox and search this link: https://my.knox.edu/ICS/Help_Desk/