How to Remove a Mailto Link from a PDF Submit Button
Question details
The user needs to remove or edit the submit action on a PDF form button to stop it from launching an email message via a mailto link.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Modifying the interactivity and submission behavior of an existing PDF form.
- Observed behavior
- Clicking the PDF form submit button currently opens a blank email message because its action is configured with a mailto link.
Ensure you have a PDF editor with form-editing capabilities installed, and verify that the PDF document is not restricted by an owner password that prevents editing.
Modify the Button Properties to Remove the Mailto Action
Access the form editing tools to delete the existing mailto action from the submit button's properties.
In PDF forms, a submit button triggers a specific action when clicked. If it opens an email draft, it has been assigned a 'Submit a form' action directed to a 'mailto:' URL. Removing or changing this action will stop the email client from launching.
Open your PDF file in Acrobat. Navigate to the 'Tools' menu and select 'Prepare Form' to enter form editing mode.
Locate the submit button on the document. Right-click the button and select 'Properties' from the context menu.
In the Button Properties dialog box, click on the 'Actions' tab to view the list of behaviors assigned to this button.
Look at the 'Actions' list at the bottom of the window. Select the 'Submit a form' action that contains the mailto link, and click the 'Delete' or 'Remove' button.
If you want the button to submit data to a web server instead, select 'Submit a form' from the 'Select Action' dropdown, click 'Add', and enter your web URL (e.g., https://yourdomain.com/submit).
Manage Interactive PDF Forms Easily with WPS PDF
WPS Office includes a comprehensive PDF editor that lets you easily create, edit, and manage interactive forms, including button actions, without needing expensive software.
- 1. Open WPS PDF: Launch WPS Office and open your interactive PDF form using the WPS PDF tool.
- 2. Access Form Tools: Navigate to the 'Form' tab on the top ribbon to access interactive form field editing options.
- 3. Edit Button Properties: Double-click the submit button (or right-click and select properties) to open its settings.
- 4. Update Actions: Switch to the action settings, remove the existing mailto link, input a new submission URL if required, and save your document.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my PDF submit button open an email draft instead of submitting online?
This happens when the button's 'Submit a form' action is configured with a 'mailto:' URL (e.g., mailto:example@domain.com). This tells the PDF reader to pass the form data to your default desktop email client rather than sending it to a web server.
Can I change a PDF submit button to send data to a web server instead?
Yes. In the button's properties under the Actions tab, you can delete the 'mailto:' action and add a new 'Submit a form' action. When prompted for the URL, enter an 'http://' or 'https://' address that points to your server's processing script.
What happens if I just delete the action without adding a new one?
If you remove the mailto action and do not replace it with another action, the submit button will become inactive. Clicking it will have no effect on the form.
How do I make the submit button export data in a specific format?
When configuring the 'Submit a form' action in the button properties, you can choose the export format. Common options include FDF, HTML, XML, or submitting the complete PDF document itself.
