Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2016. If you are using an earlier version (Excel 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Excel, click here: Automatic Text in an E-mail.

Automatic Text in an E-mail

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated August 10, 2021)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2016


7

Laura has an e-mail address that is a hyperlink in Excel. She edited the hyperlink so that the e-mail created when the link is clicked has a subject line. She wants to be able to have the e-mail automatically contain text, as well.

There is a way to do this rather easily in Excel. To see the way to do it, put the address of the e-mail recipient in A1, the desired message subject in A2, and the desired message body text in A3. Then, in a different cell, use this formula:

=HYPERLINK("mailto:" & A1 & "?subject="
& A2 & "&body=" & A3, "Linking text")

This results in a hyperlink that users can click and have both the subject and body filled in. The downside to this is that your message body can't be terribly long. The total length permissible for any hyperlink is 255 characters, including the words such as "mailto," "subject," and "body." Thus, if the length of the address in cell A1 is 16 characters, the length of the subject in cell A2 is 25 characters, and the "overhead" ("mailto," "subject," etc.) take 22, then that means your message in cell A3 cannot be over 192 characters. (That's a relatively short message.)

You can also create the appropriate hyperlink using the Insert Hyperlink dialog box. Follow these steps:

  1. Display the Insert tab of the ribbon.
  2. Click the Hyperlink tool. Excel displays the Insert Hyperlink dialog box.
  3. Make sure the E-mail Address option is chosen in the Link To area. (See Figure 1.)
  4. Figure 1. The Insert Hyperlink dialog box.

  5. In the Text to Display field, enter the text you want to appear in the worksheet.
  6. In the E-mail Address field, enter the address to be used in the link.
  7. In the Subject field, enter the text you want used for the subject line.
  8. Immediately after the subject text (in the Subject field), type an ampersand and the word "body" followed by an equal sign (as in "&body=" without the quote marks).
  9. Continue typing your desired body text, after the equal sign.
  10. Click on OK.

You should note that this approach will work for most mail clients. If it doesn't work for yours, then try replacing the spaces in the subject and the body with the characters %20.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (11785) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2016. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Automatic Text in an E-mail.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

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Comments

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What is five minus 5?

2017-05-23 04:37:55

Barry

@Qaroos

The only way to exceed the 255 limit is to use a macro. Macros give you the facility to add attachments, set Reply-To addresses (depending upon your email Client).

@Gary

To the best of my knowledge, the hyperlink function cannot be used to send an attachment. You can using a macro.


2017-05-22 10:51:25

Gary

Is it possible to include the current workbook as an attachment in the new email that is created?

Gary


2017-05-22 06:39:18

Qaroos

@Barry

thanks a lot, it`s work

*another Question

is there any was to write more than 255 characters??

is there any was to include pitcher from the sheet to the e-mail ??


2017-05-22 04:34:10

Barry

@Qaroos

This should work for you:
=HYPERLINK("Mailto:"&M23&"; "&M24 &"?cc="&G35&" &bcc="&I35 &" &subject="& F22&" &body=" & N27, "Send Email")

Note there is a limitation to the HYPERLINK function in that the first parameter (starting "Mailto:") has a maximum resolved length of 255 characters including all characters in the string i.e. Mailto & etc. So this severely restricts how long the BODY text message can be with two email addresses in the To field, a cc address bcc address and subject line this could be as little as 100 characters.
NB is the length is exceeded the error message "#VALUE!" is shown in the cell with the HYPERLINK function in it.


2017-05-21 13:24:30

Qaroos

which is the best formula?

I want create a HYPERLINK that will get (To, cc, bcc, subject and body) from different cell


Please, any one help me


2017-05-21 00:44:24

Qaroos

=HYPERLINK(M23 &";"& M24 &";"&"?cc"=G35&"bcc"=I35&"?subject="& F22&"&body=" & N27, "Send Email")


is this correct?


2017-05-21 00:31:16

Qaroos

why it not work when I write "(body=N27)" to make the massage get what cell (N27) have?


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