Can't open embedded links within Nextdoor emails in Outlook 2021

[Geldner]

Operating system::    Windows 11 Pro
Outlook version:     Classic Outlook 2021
Email type or host:    IMAP

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I have scoured the interwebs for a solution to this. Outlook basically acts like links in a Nextdoor email don't exist period. You can't even select the associated text and do the old right click trick. What's weird is that Google Gmail (web) and Fairmail (Android) have no problem opening these links to the default browser. Maybe the parentheses are causing weirdness? Here's an example of a link:

(https://nextdoor.com/p/TW6DxkntF_kP?post=3D514221410&utm_source=3Demail&se=
ction=3Dpost&mar=3D%recipient.mark_as_read%&ct=3DGQWJPk9ksGjCWw-PAK3kEBKii9=
J2saVZClvt1T6wEJdoRfpy_fFcx7aHGn6de8f8&ec=3D5JUD4ZdM5aLJOzlYn2-7BYiQKJt-R6p=
7bzzGhlQ1Zfc=3D&token=3DSzhFX9BOJC9FdzMPxrTKFz6mlLeNkyrfcYbay9TAarvSmsLuwqk=
DyT1P5BJ2sMDmRhsYf5XpHgsi_Ikj_gKv2xNxNAiIRaVUGco6aP1cCgM%3D&auto_token=3DJx=
fQMXCMJNLe92XdOkS3vcb_Ydf4LJP4Ipdf-7F0Su-ckbo_MY8IqQM2Efpf34bBFKZx8ft6WYBNP=
k84rr0w-e00xWZeBOsBQwNfrY9DU9U%3D&mobile_deeplink_data=3DeyJhY3Rpb24iOiAidm=
lld19wb3N0IiwgInBvc3QiOiA1MTQyMjE0MTB9&link_source_user_id=3D1468319)

Note that this is Outlook accessing Gmail via IMAP. Also, some of the suggested fixes are not available in Outlook 2021 including choosing the browser for handling links. As a further weirdness, thinking that it might be a preview handler problem, I dove into Outlook's list of handlers and saw multiple entries for the same type of file (HTML and Message specifically). I don't know if that's the problem or not. But, since Taub's tool is no longer available, I see no easy way of troubleshooting these. And even if I open the email out of preview mode, the links still don't work.

Thoughts, suggestions, ideas?

Thanks!

 

[Diane Poremsky]

So no error messages? BTW - Outlook often doesn't offer Copy Hyperlink if the link is on a button. Copy will copy the button. But a second right click will usually bring up the copy hyperlink option.

It's not really an issue with previews and the link appears valid. (It brings up the nextdoor sign in for me because this browser isn't signed in.)

Did you get that link from gmail.com or from outlook? If you right click on the bottom of the message in the preview pane, you'll have the option to View Source. Find the link in the source code - I'm wondering if the https is missing and Outlook is confused - but on my messages from nextdoor, the URLs are all properly formatted. (That I'm using a Microsoft account and not IMAP shouldn't make a difference. )

 

[Geldner]

So no error messages? BTW - Outlook often doesn't offer Copy Hyperlink if the link is on a button. Copy will copy the button. But a second right click will usually bring up the copy hyperlink option.
View attachment 4847

It's not really an issue with previews and the link appears valid. (It brings up the nextdoor sign in for me because this browser isn't signed in.)

Did you get that link from gmail.com or from outlook? If you right click on the bottom of the message in the preview pane, you'll have the option to View Source. Find the link in the source code - I'm wondering if the https is missing and Outlook is confused - but on my messages from nextdoor, the URLs are all properly formatted. (That I'm using a Microsoft account and not IMAP shouldn't make a difference. )
View attachment 4846

 

[Geldner]

No error messages. I copied the source from Google Gmail web. I finally found the View Source option pinned in the main menu. It doesn't show with any mouse click actions. I could post the code but it's very dense and has so many table and span callouts I'm not sure it would help. But the anchors are the same as on Google and there are no "https://" missing. So I have no idea what's going on.

 

[WilliamGolt23]

I have scoured the interwebs for a solution to this. Outlook basically acts like links in a Nextdoor email don't exist period. You can't even select the associated text and do the old right click trick. What's weird is that Google Gmail (web) and Fairmail (Android) have no problem opening these links to the default browser. Maybe the parentheses are causing weirdness? Here's an example of a link:

(https://nextdoor.com/p/TW6DxkntF_kP?post=3D514221410&utm_source=3Demail&se=
ction=3Dpost&mar=3D%recipient.mark_as_read%&ct=3DGQWJPk9ksGjCWw-PAK3kEBKii9=
J2saVZClvt1T6wEJdoRfpy_fFcx7aHGn6de8f8&ec=3D5JUD4ZdM5aLJOzlYn2-7BYiQKJt-R6p=
7bzzGhlQ1Zfc=3D&token=3DSzhFX9BOJC9FdzMPxrTKFz6mlLeNkyrfcYbay9TAarvSmsLuwqk=
DyT1P5BJ2sMDmRhsYf5XpHgsi_Ikj_gKv2xNxNAiIRaVUGco6aP1cCgM%3D&auto_token=3DJx=
fQMXCMJNLe92XdOkS3vcb_Ydf4LJP4Ipdf-7F0Su-ckbo_MY8IqQM2Efpf34bBFKZx8ft6WYBNP=
k84rr0w-e00xWZeBOsBQwNfrY9DU9U%3D&mobile_deeplink_data=3DeyJhY3Rpb24iOiAidm=
lld19wb3N0IiwgInBvc3QiOiA1MTQyMjE0MTB9&link_source_user_id=3D1468319)

Note that this is Outlook accessing Gmail via IMAP. Also, some of the suggested fixes are not available in Outlook 2021 including choosing the browser for handling links. As a further weirdness, thinking that it might be a preview handler problem, I dove into Outlook's list of handlers and saw multiple entries for the same type of file (HTML and Message specifically). I don't know if that's the problem or not. But, since Taub's tool is no longer available, I see no easy way of troubleshooting these. And even if I open the email out of preview mode, the links still don't work.
View attachment 4845
Thoughts, suggestions, ideas?

Thanks! juegos en vivo populares

This issue is likely caused by the quote-printable encoding (the =3D parameters) paired with the surrounding raw parentheses breaking Outlook's HTML rendering engine. Since Classic Outlook relies on Word's rendering engine rather than a modern web rendering engine like Chrome or Edge, malformed URL syntax and unescaped characters often cause Outlook to fail at recognizing text as clickable anchors altogether. As a quick workaround, try opening the message in a web browser using the "Actions > View in Browser" option from the message ribbon to properly process and follow those complex Nextdoor tracking links.

 

[Diane Poremsky]

But the anchors are the same as on Google and there are no "https://" missing. So I have no idea what's going on.

I figured that once I looked at my own messages from nextdoor.

If you click Forward can you click the link (in the forward copy)? You'll need to use Ctrl+Click in the Forward... actually, you might want to try that in the message.

You could try a quick repair - don't use online repair as it will remove office and reinstall it. You shouldn't have a problem with activation, but I don't like to take chances and reserve online repair for serious issues when perpetual versions are involved.

 

[Geldner]

This issue is likely caused by the quote-printable encoding (the =3D parameters) paired with the surrounding raw parentheses breaking Outlook's HTML rendering engine. Since Classic Outlook relies on Word's rendering engine rather than a modern web rendering engine like Chrome or Edge, malformed URL syntax and unescaped characters often cause Outlook to fail at recognizing text as clickable anchors altogether. As a quick workaround, try opening the message in a web browser using the "Actions > View in Browser" option from the message ribbon to properly process and follow those complex Nextdoor tracking links.

Yes, I've tried that. Unfortunately Outlook opens the message in Edge using Internet Explorer mode. Nextdoor refuses to accept an IE tagged browser. Outlook used to have a browser selection setting but as of 2021, that's gone. It's like MS doesn't want you actually using Outlook Classic period any more even if it's a better solution for most corporations and businesses.

 

[Hornblower409]

Outlook used to have a browser selection setting but as of 2021, that's gone.

The browser selection option is there in my MS 365 Version 2609. But that's for opening hyperlinks.

Action/Move -> View in browser uses a different process, that Microsoft has never updated. It creates a temp file and opens it in IE. Which now is Edge in IE Mode. You can see the file in the address bar.

 

[Diane Poremsky]

Yes, I've tried that. Unfortunately Outlook opens the message in Edge using Internet Explorer mode. Nextdoor refuses to accept an IE tagged browser. Outlook used to have a browser selection setting but as of 2021, that's gone. It's like MS doesn't want you actually using Outlook Classic period any more even if it's a better solution for most corporations and businesses.

The browser selection won't apply - when Outlook uses the View in browser option, it creates an MHTML file and only IE can open it.

The browser selection was limited to subscriptions at one time. Looks like it still is - (this is from OL 2024, but would apply to older perpetual versions too.) Sometimes they screw up the updates and features that are only for subscriptions slip into the perpetual versions for a couple of weeks (occasionally longer).