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User profile for user: agd21
agd21 Author
User level: Level 1
41 points

Safari cannot open the page because the address is invalid.

Clicking on an email address link on any Safari webpage results in the dialog: 

Safari cannot open the page because the address is invalid.

 


I think Safari is supposed to open my default email client after clicking an email address link on a Safari webpage .

e.g. http://www.smithplywoods.com/contact-us , http://cantekamerica.com/service/

 

I also get this dialog when I click the Forward icon in the Safari desktop header beside the URL address field and select Email this page or Email link to this page. Also see this dialog in iOS 17.2 Safari.

 

This has been happening for many months now and after numerous restarts.


Any suggestions on how to get Safari to open an email client when an email address link is clicked on?

 

Using Macbook M2 Pro, Sonoma 14.3, iOS 17.2 

MacBook Pro 14″, macOS 14.3

Posted on Jan 28, 2024 2:12 PM

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User profile for user: agd21
agd21 Author
User level: Level 1
41 points

Jan 29, 2024 2:13 AM in response to John Galt

Thanks John Galt.

I followed Apple’s instructions for Change the default web browser or email app on Mac - Apple Support :

Default web browser: System Settings > Desktop & Dock > Default web browser was set to Safari

Default email reader: Mail app > Mail menu > Settings > Default email reader was set to Safari.app


The Default email reader being sent to Safari.app is what was causing the problem. When I set Default email reader to Microsoft Outlook.app then clicking on the email address in a webpage opens the Microsoft Outlook.app email client with the email address preloaded in the To field.


I had wanted to use webmail instead of an email app, and the Apple Support page says to do so you can choose a web browser for the Default email reader in this step, but warns “the browser might not open webmail automatically when you click email links”. This is what was happening – with Default email reader set to Safari.app, Safari would just give the dialog: “Safari cannot open the page …”

I don’t know if Safari has its own settings to change this behavior.

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User profile for user: John Galt
John Galt
User level: Level 10
146,252 points

Jan 28, 2024 3:27 PM in response to agd21

Opening an email client would require a different scheme. For example, mailto: will open the email client specified in your User Account Preferences or Settings.


It would appear the links are in fact opening Safari, which is to be expected given the http:// scheme.


If you want your web page to open an email client to send an email to John Galt at some company then it would resemble something like mailto:John.Galt@company.com

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User profile for user: agd21
agd21 Author
User level: Level 1
41 points

Jan 28, 2024 5:25 PM in response to John Galt

It’s not these links that give rise to the dialog, but the email links on the pages that do. For example, at the page:

smithplywoods.***/contact-us

At the top of the page there is a link:

 sales@smithplywoods.***

Clicking on this link causes the “Safari cannot open the page” dialog.


BTW: Can you tell me where the setting would be to specify my email client.


[Edited by Moderator]

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Safari cannot open the page because the address is invalid.

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