Last Updated on August 30, 2026
Gmail is one of the most popular email services in use today. It’s used for home users and well as for business email accounts. If you have a Google account or an Android smartphone, then you have a Gmail account as well.
When you have an email that you want to share with other people, you can forward it to them as an option, assuming you have their email address. But if you do not have their email address and are maybe participating in a Zoom meeting or using an instant messaging app, you can easily share an email using a URL (link) so that anyone with the link can view the message.
To do this, we will be using a free browser extension called Share Emails via URL by CloudHQ. This company provides many extensions and addons that can be used for Chrome, Edge, and Gmail. Many of these tools require you to create a free CloudHQ account so keep that in mind before starting.
Generating the Shareable Email Link
1. Install the CloudHQ Extension
Once you install the extension in your browser, you will see a new icon appear directly in the sidebar when you go to the Gmail website. This small icon acts as your primary sharing tool. To create a shareable link to an email in Gmail, simply open the email you wish to share and then click on the Share Emails via URL icon.
2. Generate the Custom URL
A new window will appear on your screen with a button that says Create Shareable URL Link. Click this button to command the CloudHQ servers to process your message data. The extension will quickly package the email contents into a secure web page format.
3. Share the Generated Link
Once you click this button, the system will process the request for a few seconds. You will then see another button appear that says Share the link. Click this specific button to move to the final preview and copying stage.
Managing Your Shared Gmail Links
1. Access the CloudHQ Dashboard
If you click on the Go to dashboard button, you will be taken to a master management screen. You will be shown other emails that you have shared using this extension in the past. You also have options to view other addons and extensions from CloudHQ that you currently have installed on your browser.
2. Copy the Link to Your Clipboard
After clicking on the Share the link button, you will then see exactly how the shared email will look to outside viewers. If there are any attachments, they will be shown as clickable links that the people you send it to can download directly. You can then click on the Copy to clipboard button to copy the URL. You can paste it into an email, document, or instant messaging app.
3. Review Premium Settings
Clicking on the Settings button will show you some advanced options. These specific features require you to upgrade your account to the premium version of the addon. Free users cannot password-protect links or set automatic expiration dates.
Viewing the Shared Email as a Recipient
1. Open the Web Browser View
The image below shows exactly how the shared email will look when the link is clicked on by your recipient. As you can see, it will open the email in a standard web browser window. Any text, links, or images will be displayed just like they were in the original email format.
2. Verify the Sender Identity
The page also explicitly shows who has shared the email at the very top. This proves the authenticity of the message to the person reading it. Any included attachments will be shown clearly in the attachments section for easy downloading.
3. Share the Link Further
The recipients can interact with this page easily. They can click on the Copy to clipboard button located at the top of the screen to copy the URL themselves. This allows them to share it with other people if they need to pass the information along.
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