Special links

  1. What are special links and protocol handlers?
  2. How can I set Yandex.Mail as the mailto protocol handler?
  3. How can I set Yandex.Calendar as the webcal protocol handler?
  4. How do I change the assigned protocol handlers?
  5. Prohibiting protocol handling
  6. Send a link to page in an email

What are special links and protocol handlers?

Special links are links that open certain programs when clicking on them. For example, when you click on a link with an email address, it launches an email program and creates a message with this address as a recipient.

Special links use the following protocols:

  • mailto — for opening an email application;
  • webcal — for adding events to a calendar.

Protocol handlers are programs or web services that open when you click special links.

Protocol Protocol handler
Program Web service
webcal Outlook Yandex.Calendar
mailto Outlook, The Bat! Yandex.Mail
Protocol Protocol handler
Program Web service
webcal Outlook Yandex.Calendar
mailto Outlook, The Bat! Yandex.Mail

You can set the default web service for email and calendar in the Yandex Browser settings.

Note. If you have not assigned protocol handlers, special links are handled by the programs set on your computer as the default program for mail or calendar.

How can I set Yandex.Mail as the mailto protocol handler?

When you open Yandex.Mail in Yandex Browser for the first time, the browser offers to assign it as the default protocol handler.

  1. On the right side of the SmartBox, click .
  2. Select Allow.
  3. Click Finish.

How can I set Yandex.Calendar as the webcal protocol handler?

  1. Go to the Yandex.Calendar page.
  2. Press the Ctrl + Shift + J keys to open the JavaScript console.
  3. In the console, enter the following command: 
    javascript:window.navigator.registerProtocolHandler("webcal","https://calendar.yandex.com/?extsrc=webcal&url=%s","Yandex.Calendar")
  4. Press Enter.
  5. In the dialog box that appears, select Allow.
  6. In the The choice of standard application protocols window, find the WEBCAL protocol and select Yandex Browser for it.
Tip. Close the JavaScript console using the icon or the following keys: Ctrl + Shift + J (in Windows) or ⌘ + ⌥ + J (in macOS).

How do I change the assigned protocol handlers?

To view the list of assigned protocol handlers:

  1. Tap  → Settings.
  2. Open Websites.
  3. At the bottom of the page, click Advanced site settings.
  4. In the Protocol processing section, click Sites advanced settings.

A window will appear with a list of assigned handlers:

In this window, you can:

Set a web service as a protocol handler

Hover your mouse over the handler and click Use by default.

Delete a protocol handler

Hover your mouse over the handler and click Delete.

Prohibiting protocol handling

If you do not want a program or web service to open when you click a special link, prohibit protocol handling on all websites:

  1. Tap  → Settings.
  2. Open Websites.
  3. At the bottom of the page, click Advanced site settings.
  4. In the Protocol processing section, select Forbidden.

Send a link to page in an email

To send an email with a link to an open browser page:

  1. Click in the SmartBox.
  2. On the right side of the SmartBox, click Share → Send via email. A new email opens with an embedded link to the page.
  3. Enter your recipient's email address and send the email.

This command works if the mailto handling protocol is assigned in the browser. To check if it is set up:

  1. Tap  → Settings.
  2. Open Websites.
  3. At the bottom of the page, click Advanced site settings.
  4. Make sure that in the Protocol processing section, the Allowed option is enabled.
  5. Click the Sites advanced settings link.
  6. Make sure that the mailto protocol is assigned as the email handler.