Hyperlink Protocols: Create Hyperlinks to Email, Instant Messengers, VOIP programs & Phone Numbers

It’s occurred to me that Hyperlinks are a part of every day life for pretty much everyone these days. Whether you use them in basic internet browsing, copying and pasting YouTube and Facebook links to your friends, or making websites, knowing how to create hyperlinks is an important thing to know!

Some people don’t realize there are a lot more kinds of hyperlinks than just ones that use the HTTP or HTTPS (HTTP with SSL encryption) protocols. Many of which are very useful to today’s socially-networked webmasters and internet gurus.

Here are some useful examples:

Email HyperLink:
Example Email Link

<a href="mailto:youremail@yourdomain.com?subject=Email+Subject">Example Email Link</a>

Phone Number HyperLink:
Example Phone Link

<a title="Call 503-555-1212" href="callto:5035551212">Example Phone Link</a>

Skype Call HyperLink:
Example Skype Call Hyperlink

<a title="Call YourScreenName on Skype" href="skype:yourscreenname?call">Example Skype Call Hyperlink</a>

Skype Chat HyperLink:
Example Skype Chat Hyperlink

<a title="Chat with YourScreenName on Skype" href="skype:yourscreenname?chat">Example Skype Chat Hyperlink</a>

Google Talk Instant Message HyperLink:
Example Google Talk IM Hyperlink

<a title="Instant Message YourScreenName" href="gtalk:chat?jid=yourscreenname">Example Google Talk IM Hyperlink</a>

Google Talk Call Hyperlink:
Example Google Talk Call Hyperlink

<a title="Call YourScreenName on Google Talk" href="gtalk:call?jid=yourscreenname">Example Google Talk Call Hyperlink</a>

MSN/Windows Live HyperLink:
Example MSN/Windows Live IM Hyperlink

<a title="Instant Message YourScreenName on MSN/Windows Live Messenger" href="msnim:chat?contact=yourscreenname">Example MSN/Windows Live IM Hyperlink</a>

Yahoo! Instant Messanger HyperLink:
Example Yahoo! Instant Messenger IM Hyperlink

<a title="Chat with YourScreenName on Yahoo! Instant Messenger" href="ymsgr:sendim?yourscreenname">Example Yahoo! Instant Messenger IM Hyperlink</a>

AOL Instant Messenger HyperLink:
Example AOL Instant Messenger IM Hyperlink

<a title="Chat with YourScreenName on AOL Instant Messenger" href="aim:goim?screenname=yourscreenname">Example AOL Instant Messenger IM Hyperlink</a>

I’ll update this post and add more useful examples as I think of them.