Long URL's in emails

Long Link URL’s are a perennial problem.  In some people’s email systems, long URL’s will wrap onto two lines.  

An example might look like this:

http://ergowizard.com/hfestorycorps/interviews/showmovie.html?examplearg=ThisIsS

omeExtraJunkToMakeThisUrlReallyReallyReallyReallyReallyLong

Notice how the first line of the URL is clickable, but it doesn’t include the part that’s on the second line.  For most URL’s this would make it invalid when clicked.  (In this case it still works, but don’t concern yourself with that.)

I believe that lines will traditionally wrap at 80 characters in non-HTML email clients.  Shorter links might be ok, HOWEVER, they could still get wrapped if the email gets forwarded around a lot by email clients that put those “>” characters in front of each line.  

Another possible problem is that some people have “HTML” turned off in their email systems and NOTHING is clickable (in which case, only approach 1 below would help).

I see 4 approaches to this problem:

1. Make sure people with limited email clients know of an alternative.  “If you can’t click this, please copy/paste the entire link into your browser address bar – without spaces.”  Make sure your URL is all on one line with a blank line below it so your user knows when to stop swiping for the copy/paste.
2. Always put < and > around your link (in case that didn’t show, I’m talking about the “less-than” and “greater-than” pointy brackets that are above the comma and period on your keyboard).  I’m going to put a long link below.  When I type it, I’m going to put the pointy brackets (< and >) immediately in front and behind the link (though that probably won’t be visible when you read this email).  In theory, this keeps the link “together” somehow when it is clicked in the recipient’s email system.
1. http://ergowizard.com/hfestorycorps/interviews/showmovie.html?examplearg=ThisIsSomeExtraJunkToMakeThisUrlReallyReallyReallyReallyReallyLong
3. Use short, “user-friendly” URL’s.  For this example, I’m going to type “click here” on the next line.  Then I’m going to swipe that text and right-click it and choose Hyperlink.  In that pop-up window, I’m going to paste the really long URL into the Address box at the bottom (and make sure the top box hasn’t been modified and still says “click here”).  This method was derived using Outlook; similar methods probably exist elsewhere.
1. Click here
4. Use a free service like http://TinyURL.com to create a user-friendly URL.  In the next line, I’m going to paste a URL from TinyURL.  You go to that web page, paste your really long URL into the box and you get a short one you can use in your email.

               a. http://tinyurl.com/5glggd