Prefilling large volumes of body text in GMAIL compose getting a Request URI too long error

Question

This is a followup of this question.

Where I was building a google apps application - I can call a gmail compose message page from my application using the url:

https://mail.google.com/a/domain/?view=cm&fs=1&tf=1&source=mailto&to=WHOEVER%40COMPANY.COM&su=SUBJECTHERE&cc=WHOEVER%40COMPANY.COM&bcc=WHOEVER%40COMPANY.COM&body=PREPOPULATEDBODY

However when I try to pass in the body parameter a very long line of text (like as a reply message body), I get an error from the Gmail stating that the REQUEST URI is too long.

Is there a better way to do this as in a way to fillin the text body box of gmail compose section? Or some way to open the page, and have it somehow prefilled with Javascript?

Answer 1

I don't have enough karma to comment on Victor's answer itself, but no, you cannot POST to Gmail's compose window. I tried it myself and just got my regular old Gmail home screen, not the compose screen and certainly not the compose screen with the values filled in as the OP wanted.

It's too bad too, because it was a good idea to get loads of info into a Gmail compose window. Would anyone on the Gmail team care to address this issue?

Answer 2

Google will not process mailto links that are longer than 1584 characters (after the mailto: part).

Answer 3

This is the problem with large URL's What is the maximum length of a URL in different browsers?

This works using Method GET

<form action="https://mail.google.com/a/domain/" method="get" target="_blank">
   <input type="hidden" name="view" value="cm">
   <input type="hidden" name="su" value="SUBJECT HERE">
   <input type="hidden" name="fs" value="1">
   <input type="hidden" name="tf" value="1">
   <input type="hidden" name="bcc" value="URL LIMIT EXCEEDED&lt;Email list to large&gt;">
   <input type="submit" value="Submit">
</form> 

This doesn't work using Method POST it tries but just gets to a point and stops

<form action="https://mail.google.com/a/domain/" method="post" target="_blank">
   <input type="hidden" name="view" value="cm">
   <input type="hidden" name="su" value="SUBJECT HERE">
   <input type="hidden" name="fs" value="1">
   <input type="hidden" name="tf" value="1">
   <input type="hidden" name="bcc" value="URL LIMIT EXCEEDED&lt;Email list to large&gt;">
   <input type="submit" value="Submit">
</form> 

Answer 4

Why not have a form (method = post, target = blank) with hidden fields that represent the variables you need to send. Then post that form