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Make Gmail in Chrome Your Default Email Client

If you use Gmail as your primary email and Chrome as your default browser, this is for you.

When Gmail is set as your default email client, clicking any email link (e.g. a customer's email address icon inside Propcart) opens a new Gmail compose window with the address already filled in — instead of trying to open a desktop mail app you don't use.

This guide covers both Mac and Windows.

Before you start​

  • Use Google Chrome (these steps are specific to Chrome).
  • Make sure you're signed in to the Gmail account you want to send from.
  • Work in a normal Chrome window — protocol settings do not save in Incognito or Guest windows.

Mac​

On a Mac, this is handled entirely inside Chrome. As long as no email account is configured in the Apple Mail app, you do not need to open or change any Apple Mail settings.

Step 1 — Allow sites to handle email links​

  1. In Chrome, go to chrome://settings/handlers (type or paste it into the address bar).
  2. Turn on Sites can ask to handle protocols.
  3. If you see an existing or blocked entry for mail.google.com or mailto, click the trash icon to remove it. This clears out any stale setting so Gmail can register cleanly.

Step 2 — Register Gmail as the handler​

  1. Open a new tab and go to mail.google.com. Let it load fully while signed in.
  2. Look at the right end of the address bar for the protocol-handler icon — two small overlapping diamonds.
  3. Click it, choose the option to allow Gmail to open email links, and confirm.

Step 3 — Confirm it worked​

  1. Return to chrome://settings/handlers.
  2. Confirm that mail.google.com is now listed as the handler for mailto.
  3. Test it by clicking any email link like this one. A Gmail compose window should open with the address pre-filled.

Windows​

On Windows, you set Chrome as the system default for email, then register Gmail inside Chrome so email links route to the Gmail compose window.

Step 1 — Set Chrome as the default email handler​

  1. Open the Windows Settings app.
  2. Go to Apps → Default apps.
  3. In the search box labeled Set a default for a link type, type MAILTO.
  4. Select the MAILTO entry, then choose Google Chrome from the list of apps.

Step 2 — Allow sites to handle email links in Chrome​

  1. In Chrome, go to chrome://settings/handlers.
  2. Turn on Sites can ask to handle protocols.
  3. Remove any existing or blocked entry for mail.google.com or mailto (trash icon) so Gmail can register cleanly.

Step 3 — Register Gmail as the handler​

  1. Open a new tab and go to mail.google.com. Let it load fully while signed in.
  2. Look at the right end of the address bar for the protocol-handler icon — two small overlapping diamonds.
  3. Click it, choose the option to allow Gmail to open email links, and confirm.

Step 4 — Confirm it worked​

  1. Return to chrome://settings/handlers and confirm mail.google.com is listed as the handler for mailto.
  2. Click any email link to test like this one. A Gmail compose window should open with the address pre-filled.

Troubleshooting​

This means Chrome received the link but Gmail isn't registered as the handler inside Chrome — so it tries to load the link as a web address instead of routing it to Gmail.

Fix it by repeating the "Register Gmail as the handler" step above. Make sure you first remove any old mail.google.com entry at chrome://settings/handlers, then reload Gmail so it can register fresh.

The overlapping-diamonds icon never appears​

If Gmail won't prompt you to register, you can trigger the prompt manually from within Chrome:

  1. Open the Gmail tab.

  2. Go to View → Developer → JavaScript Console.

  3. Paste the following and press Enter:

    navigator.registerProtocolHandler(
      'mailto',
      'https://mail.google.com/mail/?extsrc=mailto&url=%s'
    );

  4. Accept the prompt that appears, then re-check chrome://settings/handlers.

  • Confirm you completed the Chrome handler steps in a normal window (not Incognito or Guest).
  • Windows: double-check that MAILTO is set to Google Chrome under Settings → Apps → Default apps.
  • Mac: if you had previously configured an account in Apple Mail, that app may still be claiming email links; removing the account or setting Chrome as the default reader resolves it.

Need more help? Contact Propcart Support and we'll walk you through it.