HTML-Formatted Email

HTML formatted email is the default for most email clients, including Outlook on the Web.

Sending email to a non-Cornell address

Your URLs will not be formatted by Safe Links when you send an email.

Sending email to a Cornell address

If you send an email to another Cornell email address, the URL will be checked by Safe Links in and re-written if the recipient is included in the expanded Safe Links policy. If the recipient is using Microsoft Outlook, Outlook for the Web, or Outlook’s mobile app, the recipient will see the original URL 

Plain Text Emails

Sending email to a non-Cornell address

Your URLs will not be formatted by Safe Links when you send an email.

Sending email to a Cornell address

If you send an email in plain text format your URL will be wrapped in the Safe Links format.

For example, if you send a plain text email with the URL https://it.cornell.edu the recipient will see:

https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fit.cornell.edu%2F&data=05%7C01%7Cjrb545%40cornell.edu%7C4bf08ed4bd114ec5a4d108db7401c47a%7C5d7e43661b9b45cf8e79b14b27df46e1%7C0%7C0%7C638231323158059356%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=kqOhKGF0bFAXfYxi7axbFIMa4xQMGxJtuKVyfwpUee8%3D&reserved=0

The best option to prevent this from happening is to write your email in HTML, not plain text. When you write an email in HTML, your recipient will see the original URL (not the Safe Links URL) in your message.

Link Statistics

Safe Links inflates simple click data but does not impact unique click data. 

Safe Links, and similar security programs like Proofpoint, are gaining popularity at many institutions, which diminishes the usefulness of simple click data for marketers. Unique clicks more accurately track an individual's response to your email communication.