Gmail “Compose” Links Changed: What Broke and How to Fix Your `href`s

If your Gmail links started opening the inbox instead of a pre‑filled compose window, you’re not imagining it. Google’s routing for compose URLs shifted. Here are the reliable formats to use now—with copy‑paste examples.

Executive summary

Legacy links like https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?view=cm&tf=1&to=… can redirect to the inbox, especially with multiple signed‑in Google accounts.
Use tf=cm with standard fields (to, cc, bcc, su, body). Optionally target a specific account via /u/<index-or-email>/.
For website hand‑off from mailto: to Gmail, register Gmail as a protocol handler and/or use the ?extsrc=mailto&url=mailto:… pattern.

Symptoms

Clicking a compose link lands you in the inbox, not the compose modal.
Works in one profile but fails in another; fails more often with multi‑account sessions.
On mobile web, Gmail may ignore prefill and still show the inbox.

What changed

Gmail’s internal router no longer guarantees the old ?view=cm&tf=1 behavior. The newer pattern ?tf=cm is more consistent. Mobile web remains less predictable; consider native mailto: as a fallback.

Recommended, working patterns (2025)

1) Direct compose (desktop Gmail)

Use tf=cm and, if needed, address a specific account.

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?to=info@bedrijf.nl
&su=New+offer
&body=Corine%20%2B31%20317%20615689
&cc=
&bcc=
&tf=cm

/u/0/ = first signed‑in account; use /u/1/ for second, or /u/your.address@gmail.com/.
Supported fields: to, cc, bcc, su (subject), body.

2) “mailto → Gmail” handoff (robust on websites)

navigator.registerProtocolHandler(
  "mailto",
  "https://mail.google.com/mail/?extsrc=mailto&url=%s",
  "Gmail"
);

Example button:

<a href="mailto:info@bedrijf.nl?subject=New%20offer&body=Corine%20%2B31%20317%20615689">
  Email us
</a>

How to migrate old links

Old pattern	Issue	Replace with
`?view=cm&tf=1`	May redirect to inbox; unstable with multiple accounts.	`?tf=cm&to=…&su=…&body=…` (optionally add `/u/0/` or `/u/email/`)
Raw `mailto:` without handler	Falls back to OS client (Outlook/Apple Mail).	Register Gmail as handler and/or use `?extsrc=mailto&url=mailto:…`
Desktop pattern reused on mobile	Mobile web may ignore prefill and show inbox.	No guaranteed fix; consider native `mailto:` fallback.

Copy‑paste: your exact case

Direct (desktop Gmail, first account)

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?to=info@bedrijf.nl&su=New+offer&body=Corine%20%2B31%20317%20615689&tf=cm

Direct (explicit account by email)

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/your.address@gmail.com/?to=info@bedrijf.nl&su=New+offer&body=Corine%20%2B31%20317%20615689&tf=cm

Website button using `mailto` → Gmail

<a href="mailto:info@bedrijf.nl?subject=New%20offer&body=Corine%20%2B31%20317%20615689">Contact</a>

Tip: Always URL‑encode spaces (%20) and plus signs (%2B) in su/body to avoid mangled text.

Note: Google does not publish a stable, official spec for these query parameters; behavior can change. Patterns above are verified as of Oct 2025.

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