RFC 2368 (rfc2368) - Page 1 of 10

The mailto URL scheme

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Network Working Group                                       P. Hoffman
Request for Comments: 2368                    Internet Mail Consortium
Updates: 1738, 1808                                        L. Masinter
Category: Standards Track                            Xerox Corporation
                                                           J. Zawinski
                                               Netscape Communications
                                                             July 1998


                         The mailto URL scheme

Status of this Memo

   This document specifies an Internet standards track protocol for the
   Internet community, and requests discussion and suggestions for
   improvements.  Please refer to the current edition of the "Internet
   Official Protocol Standards" (STD 1) for the standardization state
   and status of this protocol.  Distribution of this memo is unlimited.

Copyright Notice

   Copyright (C) The Internet Society (1998).  All Rights Reserved.

Abstract

   This document defines the format of Uniform Resource Locators (URL)
   for designating electronic mail addresses. It is one of a suite of
   documents which replace RFC 1738, 'Uniform Resource Locators', and
   RFC 1808, 'Relative Uniform Resource Locators'. The syntax of
   'mailto' URLs from RFC 1738 is extended to allow creation of more RFC
   822 messages by allowing the URL to express additional header and
   body fields.

1. Introduction

   The mailto URL scheme is used to designate the Internet mailing
   address of an individual or service. In its simplest form, a mailto
   URL contains an Internet mail address.

   For greater functionality, because interaction with some resources
   may require message headers or message bodies to be specified as well
   as the mail address, the mailto URL scheme is extended to allow
   setting mail header fields and the message body.

2. Syntax of a mailto URL

   Following the syntax conventions of RFC 1738 [RFC 1738], a "mailto"
   URL has the form:



Hoffman, et. al.            Standards Track
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