How to send email with file attachment using pure HTML and JavaScript

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1

I’m trying to figure out how to include file attachments when sending emails through the mailto: link in JavaScript. I have a basic email function working but I can’t seem to attach files to it.

Here’s what I have so far:

function openEmailClient() {
    var emailLink = "mailto:[email protected]"
             + "[email protected]"
             + "&subject=" + encodeURIComponent("My Email Subject")
             + "&body=" + encodeURIComponent(document.getElementById('messageText').value);

    window.open(emailLink);
}

This code works fine for basic emails but I need to add file attachments. Is there a way to modify this approach to include files, or do I need a completely different method? Any help would be appreciated!

2

Been wrestling with this too. Mailto links don’t support file attachments - it’s built into the protocol. What you’ve got is already maxing out mailto’s capabilities. I switched to a server-side solution with Node.js and Nodemailer. Just use a basic HTML form that handles file uploads and processes everything server-side. The switch wasn’t bad - you can keep your existing JavaScript for validation and UX. Add a file input and let the server do the work. Way more reliable than fighting browser security restrictions.

3

The mailto protocol just doesn’t do file attachments - it’s a hard limitation of how email links work. Hit this exact problem two years back on a client project. Browsers won’t let JavaScript touch local files for security reasons. Your mailto approach works great for basic emails, but you’ll need something else here. I went with a PHP script that handles uploads and sends emails - worked perfectly. If you don’t want to mess with backend stuff, try Formspree or Netlify Forms instead. Mailto’s awesome for simple contact forms but crashes when files enter the picture.

4

totally agree, mailto links won’t do files no way. u gotta use a backend or tools like EmailJS if u wanna send stuff. browsers just block local files for security.