How to Create a Clickable Email Link in SharePoint Lists Without mailto
Question details
The user wants to display email addresses in a SharePoint List as clickable links while hiding the 'mailto:' prefix for a cleaner look.
- Product
- SharePoint Lists
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Customizing column displays in SharePoint Lists to improve readability and user experience.
- Observed behavior
- When adding email hyperlinks, the 'mailto:' prefix appears in the display text by default, cluttering the view instead of just showing the email address or custom text.
Ensure you have Edit or Owner permissions for the SharePoint List to modify column settings and apply custom JSON formatting.
Use JSON Column Formatting
Use SharePoint's advanced column formatting to dynamically convert plain text emails into clickable links while hiding the protocol prefix.
This is the most efficient method for lists with many rows, as it automatically formats plain text email addresses into functional links without requiring manual hyperlink insertion for each item.
Navigate to your SharePoint List, click the downward arrow next to your email column header, and select 'Column settings' followed by 'Format this column'.
At the bottom of the right-hand formatting pane, click on the 'Advanced mode' link to open the JSON editor.
Paste a JSON script that sets the 'elmType' to 'a', 'txtContent' to '[$YourEmailColumnName]', and 'href' to '="mailto:" + [$YourEmailColumnName]'.
Click 'Save' to apply the changes. The column will now display just the email address text while acting as a clickable 'mailto:' hyperlink.
Enable Enhanced Rich Text for Manual Entry
A simpler method that does not require coding, allowing users to manually insert clean email hyperlinks into a multi-line text column.
Need a simpler way to manage tabular data? Try WPS Office
While SharePoint lists offer extensive web-based customization, managing tabular data locally is often easier and faster in a dedicated spreadsheet application. WPS Office offers a free, lightweight alternative to Microsoft Office, providing powerful spreadsheet tools where email hyperlinks can be formatted cleanly without any coding.
- 1. Open WPS Spreadsheet: Launch WPS Office and open a new or existing spreadsheet where you want to add an email address.
- 2. Insert Hyperlink: Right-click the target cell and select 'Hyperlink' (or press Ctrl+K).
- 3. Configure Email Link: Select 'Email Address' in the left panel, type the email address, and customize the 'Text to display' field to ensure no 'mailto:' prefix is shown.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does SharePoint show 'mailto:' in hyperlinked columns by default?
SharePoint's standard Hyperlink column displays the exact URL provided in the address field. Since email links require the 'mailto:' protocol to trigger an external email client, SharePoint displays this full protocol string unless custom JSON column formatting or Rich Text is applied to mask it.
Can I apply JSON column formatting to a standard Hyperlink column?
While you can apply JSON formatting to a Hyperlink column, it is often much easier to use a standard 'Single line of text' column for email addresses. You can then use JSON to automatically convert that plain text string into a clickable email link.
Will the Enhanced Rich Text method work on mobile devices?
Yes. Once an email link is manually created using the Enhanced Rich Text method, it renders as a standard HTML hyperlink. This makes it fully clickable and functional on both desktop browsers and the SharePoint mobile app.
