Migrate from email mailto links to your SupportRetriever contact form for better customer experience.
Why Replace mailto Links?
Advantages of Contact Forms
- Better UX: No email client required
- Spam Protection: Built-in bot protection
- Conversation Management: Centralized message handling
- Analytics: Track submissions and response times
- Mobile Friendly: Works on all devices
- Professional: More polished than mailto links
mailto Link Limitations
- Requires email client setup
- Poor mobile experience
- No spam protection
- No conversation tracking
- Limited analytics
Migration Steps
1. Get Your Form URL
- Go to Form Management (
/admin/form) - Click the Embed tab
- Copy your form URL
2. Find mailto Links
Search your website for mailto links:
<!-- Old mailto link -->
<a href="mailto:support@example.com">Contact Support</a>
3. Replace with Form Link
Replace mailto links with your form URL:
<!-- New form link -->
<a href="https://supportretriever.com/form/your-form-id">Contact Support</a>
Common Replacement Patterns
Simple Link
Before:
<a href="mailto:contact@example.com">Contact Us</a>
After:
<a href="https://supportretriever.com/form/your-form-id">Contact Us</a>
Link with Subject
Before:
<a href="mailto:support@example.com?subject=Support%20Request">Get Help</a>
After:
<a href="https://supportretriever.com/form/your-form-id?source=website&type=support">Get Help</a>
Link with Body Text
Before:
<a href="mailto:hello@example.com?body=Hello%2C%20I%20would%20like%20to...">Say Hello</a>
After:
<a href="https://supportretriever.com/form/your-form-id">Say Hello</a>
The form provides a proper message field instead of pre-filled body text.
Implementation Examples
Navigation Menu
Before:
<nav>
<a href="/">Home</a>
<a href="/about">About</a>
<a href="mailto:contact@example.com">Contact</a>
</nav>
After:
<nav>
<a href="/">Home</a>
<a href="/about">About</a>
<a href="https://supportretriever.com/form/your-form-id">Contact</a>
</nav>
Footer Links
Before:
<footer>
<a href="mailto:support@example.com">Support</a>
<a href="mailto:sales@example.com">Sales</a>
</footer>
After:
<footer>
<a href="https://supportretriever.com/form/your-form-id?type=support">Support</a>
<a href="https://supportretriever.com/form/your-form-id?type=sales">Sales</a>
</footer>
Button Elements
Before:
<button onclick="window.location.href='mailto:contact@example.com'">
Contact Us
</button>
After:
<a href="https://supportretriever.com/form/your-form-id" class="button">
Contact Us
</a>
Using HTML Link Code
For links with the SupportRetriever logo:
- Go to Form Management → Embed tab
- Customize your HTML link
- Copy the generated code
- Replace mailto links with the new code
Testing the Migration
After replacing links:
- Test Each Link: Click every contact link on your site
- Verify Form Loads: Ensure forms display correctly
- Test Submission: Submit a test message
- Check Delivery: Verify you receive the submission
- Mobile Testing: Test on mobile devices
Gradual Migration
You can migrate gradually:
- Start with High-Traffic Pages: Replace links on main pages first
- Update Navigation: Replace header/footer links
- Update Content: Replace links in blog posts and articles
- Monitor Analytics: Track form submissions vs. old email volume
Preserving Email Functionality
If you need to keep email as a backup:
- Set your recipient email in SupportRetriever
- Replace mailto links with form links
- Forms will deliver to your email automatically
- You get the benefits of both approaches
SEO Considerations
Contact forms can improve SEO:
- User Engagement: Better UX can reduce bounce rates
- Mobile Experience: Better mobile experience improves rankings
- Structured Data: Forms can be marked up with schema