Tired of Apple Mail opening every time you click an email address? Mailway automatically routes mailto links to the right email app or webmail (e.g. Gmail) service. Set it up once, then forget about it. Pick your primary email app, add optional rules, and every mailto link just goes to the right place.

Works system-wide, not just in the browser. The app doesn’t need to stay running. It launches only when you click a mailto link, routes it, and quits. Zero CPU and memory usage when idle.

TIP

You may also like my Velja app, which does the same but for browser links.

Example use-cases

Use Gmail for work emails and Apple Mail for everything else
Open emails to a specific domain in Outlook
Route mailto links clicked in Slack to Gmail
Use Fastmail for personal email and a custom webmail URL for your self-hosted email

Webmail

The app opens the compose window directly in your browser with the recipient, subject, and body pre-filled.

Built-in support for:

Gmail (including custom domains)
Fastmail
Outlook 365
Outlook.com
Yahoo
Yandex
AOL
Zoho

Any other webmail service can be added using the “Custom URL” option with URL template variables. I’m happy to add built-in support for more providers. Just send me a link to their compose URL documentation.

Tip: Use Velja with a rule where Mailway is the source app to open webmail links in a specific browser or browser profile.

Copy to Clipboard

Don’t want to open anything? Set the target to “Copy to Clipboard” and clicking a mailto link will copy the email address to the clipboard instead.

Tips

Alternative email app

Hold a Fn key when clicking a mailto: link to use an alternative email app, bypassing all rules.

Frequently Asked Questions

I have a feature request, bug report, or some feedback

Click the feedback button in the app or send it here.

Why do I need to set the app as the default email app?

The app works by being the system default email app. This is the only way macOS allows an app to intercept and route mailto links.

Do I need to create rules?

No. If you just want all mailto links to open in a single email app or webmail service, set it as your primary target and you’re done. Rules are optional.

Can I set different email apps for work and personal use?

Yes. Create a rule that matches your work domain (e.g., company.com) and set it to open in your work email app. Everything else goes to your primary email app.

Does it work with third-party email apps like Spark or Airmail?

Yes. The app works with any email app installed on your Mac that handles mailto links.

Can you provide an interactive picker to choose the email app each time?

No. The app is designed to be set-and-forget. You configure your primary email app and rules once, and it routes mailto links automatically. There are no plans for an interactive prompt.

How can I open a mailto link in a specific browser or browser profile?

Use Velja and create a rule with Mailway as the source app to open webmail links in a specific browser or browser profile.

Can I use different email apps for different recipients?

Yes. Create rules in the Rules tab to route emails by recipient address, domain, or subdomain.

Can I route based on which app the link was clicked in?

Yes. When creating a rule, you can add source apps as a condition. For example, route all mailto links clicked in Slack to Gmail. A rule doesn’t need recipient matchers, so you can match by source app alone.

Does it handle mailto links with multiple recipients?

Yes. All recipients, including CC and BCC, are passed through to the email app or webmail service.

Does it work with “Contact us” buttons on websites?

Only if the button uses a mailto: link. Some websites use web forms instead, which the app cannot intercept.

I clicked an email address but nothing happened

Make sure the app is set as the default email app in the settings. Also verify the link is an actual mailto: link and not a web form or a plain text email address.

My webmail opens with an empty compose window

The webmail service may not support all URL parameters. Try a different webmail option or use the “Custom URL” option to adjust the compose URL for your service.

Can you add support for my webmail service?

The app already supports any webmail service through the “Custom URL” option. Set it to the compose URL of your service using URL template variables: {to}, {cc}, {bcc}, {subject}, {body}, {mailto}, and {domain}.

If your service doesn’t have a public compose URL, there’s unfortunately nothing the app can do. Contact them and ask for one.

Does it work with Proton Mail?

If you have the Proton Mail desktop app installed, you can select it as your email app in the settings. Proton Mail does not provide a public web compose URL, so the webmail option is not available. Vote for it here.

Can I match rules by the email subject or body?

No. Rules can only match by recipient (email address, domain, or subdomain) and source app.

Can I use regex in rules?

No. Rules use exact email matching, domain matching, or domain suffix matching. For most use-cases, domain matching is sufficient.

Does the app collect any data?

No. The app is sandboxed and does not collect, store, or transmit any data.

How do I go back to Apple Mail?

Change the default email app back to Apple Mail in “System Settings > Default Apps”.

Can you support iOS?

No. iOS does not allow apps to intercept mailto: links the way macOS does.

How is it different from Velja? Why isn’t it part of Velja?

Velja routes browser links (URLs) to different browsers and apps. Mailway routes mailto: links to different email apps and webmail services. Keeping them separate means each app stays focused and simple. They work great together though.

How does it compare to Open In Webmail?

Mailway benefits:

Route to native email apps, not just webmail
Rules based on recipient, domain, or source app
Alternative email target with modifier key
Actively maintained

Open In Webmail benefits:

Built-in support for choosing browser. Mailways defers to Velja for that.