Add a link to a message in Mail

Hello and welcome to Apple Support Communities Cantor Charlie,

I see that you're having an issue when trying to add hyperlinks to messages in the Mail app. I'd be happy to look into this with you.

Let's have you test in safe mode to see if the issue remains. If the issue remains in safe mode, let's try using a test user account and see if the issue persists. The articles below will guide you through those steps, if needed.

Use safe mode to isolate issues with your Mac

How to test an issue in another user account on your Mac

If the issue persists after trying both of these steps, respond back with some more details? When did the issue begin? Was it after an update or installing a new app or apps? Does this happen when you send mail to a specific recipient?

Thank you for using Apple Support Communities.

Jeff_55 wrote:

Well, I get clickable links regularly in emails and I like it that way. I hover the mouse to check the link and then click if I like. It's annoying when I can't send them that way to my friends. On the other hand, just now I tried again and I could paste a working link... It wasn't just a yesterday fluke that it didn't work. It's been like that for a while. Apparently it's intermittent.

As long as the url includes the www. or the http:// or https:// —it should be a hotlink when received, no matter what it looks like to you in your email as you compose.

Use Mail on your Mac - Apple Support

That doesn't work for me. Mail seems to have changed recently. I have to paste the copied link text, then select the pasted text, right click it, select "add link" from the pop up menu, click Add, then the link shows up underlined. It still doesn't work by clicking on that underlined link, however. I have to right click it and choose "open link". I don't know what my recipients have to do.

It wasn't like this until a month or so back I guess. I don't remember the date. I just know it doesn't work anything like it used to.

This is only in Mail. In Pages the links paste like they used to. Clicking on them, however, pulls up a dialog where I have to confirm that I want to open the link.

I think they broke something in Mail and haven't gotten enough complaints to fix it yet. It used to be you just pasted in the copied link and that was it. The good old days......

This is on a 4 year old Mac Mini with all the software kept up to date as soon as it's available.

Jeff_55 wrote:

<snip>

I don't know what my recipients have to do.

<snip>

Isn't that the whole point of using email? It may not be working on your end but that does not matter as much as what do the recipients see at their end. If the recipients are not going to see an active link anyway why spend the time and effort trying to create the active link?

Well, I get clickable links regularly in emails and I like it that way. I hover the mouse to check the link and then click if I like. It's annoying when I can't send them that way to my friends. On the other hand, just now I tried again and I could paste a working link... It wasn't just a yesterday fluke that it didn't work. It's been like that for a while. Apparently it's intermittent.

Your recipients likely and wisely as do most email users disabled links in their received email. So it may be that the issue is really your recipients being security and safety conscious.

triple click on the link, copy, then in mail: paste

Thanks for pointing that out. It makes sense and I just played with it a bit. I now know another handy little thing. It's like a little Xmas present:-)