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Aweber Links No Longer Clickable -- Can You Solve This Mystery???

by Dennis Gaskill
15 replies
Recently I've been getting complaints from people on one of my mailing lists that the links in my email - sent from Aweber - are no longer clickable. They have to copy and paste them into their browser.

I'm not doing anything different. The links are the same, copy and pasted from the same email template I've been using for years.

The exception is the unsubscribe link Aweber automatically includes does work. It's the the links I include that don't. They're just plain text instead.

Does anyone know why my links have quit working the last couple of months? Is anyone else having this problem?

Thanks in advance.
#aweber #clickable #links #longer #mystery #solve
  • Profile picture of the author dereksemmler
    Originally Posted by Dennis Gaskill View Post

    Recently I've been getting complaints from people on one of my mailing lists that the links in my email - sent from Aweber - are no longer clickable. They have to copy and paste them into their browser.

    I'm not doing anything different. The links are the same, copy and pasted from the same email template I've been using for years.

    The exception is the unsubscribe link Aweber automatically includes does work. It's the the links I include that don't. They're just plain text instead.

    Does anyone know why my links have quit working the last couple of months? Is anyone else having this problem?

    Thanks in advance.
    I had seen this in a few of my messages as well and thought that maybe I had just not configured something properly. Now that I see that others are experiencing similar symptoms, I am looking for a resolution.

    Are you using HTML messages or text messages? In my case, I have text messages and it appears that the links are not being converted to clickable links as they should.
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  • Profile picture of the author Dennis Gaskill
    Hey Derek, I have it set for both. If the user prefers HTML they get that, if they prefer text, they get that. I'm glad I'm not the only one it's happening to...not that I wish any problems on you. lol
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    • Profile picture of the author dereksemmler
      Originally Posted by Dennis Gaskill View Post

      Hey Derek, I have it set for both. If the user prefers HTML they get that, if they prefer text, they get that. I'm glad I'm not the only one it's happening to...not that I wish any problems on you. lol
      Haha, no worries I know exactly what you mean. Allow me to just clarify a few of the things I have already worked through on my messages, although I am assuming these will not be the cause of your problem since the links did work for you at one time.

      1. Do you know if it is both the text and html versions that aren't working for your subscribers?
      2. In your HTML version, do you create the link with the link tool or enter the link as text?
      3. I've read of people having issues when they try to copy the text version straight over to the HTML version and have the full-text links. Those don't convert properly in the HTML version.
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      • Profile picture of the author Dennis Gaskill
        Originally Posted by dereksemmler View Post

        Haha, no worries I know exactly what you mean. Allow me to just clarify a few of the things I have already worked through on my messages, although I am assuming these will not be the cause of your problem since the links did work for you at one time.

        1. Do you know if it is both the text and html versions that aren't working for your subscribers?
        2. In your HTML version, do you create the link with the link tool or enter the link as text?
        3. I've read of people having issues when they try to copy the text version straight over to the HTML version and have the full-text links. Those don't convert properly in the HTML version.
        1. No, I don't know. I didn't think to ask, to be honest. Since it had always worked before I thought the probably was probably on the user's end ... until I got more than one complaint.

        2 & 3. Copy and paste. I've always done it that way, but maybe it just doesn't work that way anymore. I'll try using the 'insert link button next time.

        How about you? Have you been doing it the same way I have?
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        • Profile picture of the author dereksemmler
          Originally Posted by Dennis Gaskill View Post

          How about you? Have you been doing it the same way I have?
          Actually I was just using the text version and did not create an HTML version of my message. I'm doing some testing now and my links appear to be coming across as clickable, but previously they have not.

          With regard to the copy / paste, I had found this article that alludes to this problem. Unfortunately the video is no longer available where the issue is actually reviewed. I'd think if you try the "insert link" button that it might solve your issue.
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          • Profile picture of the author entry
            Originally Posted by entry View Post

            This means people will get your emails,and not get clickable links, so you could loose potential visitors clicking to them links
            Originally Posted by TrekkieGrrrl View Post

            I think he gets that part. I think that's why he's posting here to find out how to fix it.
            Yea i know he knows, but i meant we better find an answer to this.

            has anybody asked aweber?
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  • Profile picture of the author Janice Sperry
    What I found was that when I composed a message in the HTML box in "Design" mode the "Insert Link" button did not always work. I always send a test email and sometimes the link works and sometimes it does not. When it does not work I go back and switch to "Source" mode. There is always something goofed up in the link so I just manually enter the correct HTML and this corrects it. The first couple times links did not work I thought it was something I was doing wrong but it is not.
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  • Profile picture of the author garyv
    If you paste a message into the aweber form, you still have to go in and put in the links. At least that's what I've noticed. It won't automatically hotlink a url - you have to highlight the url and make it a link.
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  • Profile picture of the author Dennis Gaskill
    Gary, that's the thing, it always worked before. What Janice said makes some sense though, at least as far as my problem goes, that it sometimes works and sometimes not.
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    • Profile picture of the author garyv
      Originally Posted by Dennis Gaskill View Post

      Gary, that's the thing, it always worked before. What Janice said makes some sense though, at least as far as my problem goes, that it sometimes works and sometimes not.
      It does make me curious. Now I'll have to keep an eye out for that.
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      • Profile picture of the author entry
        This means people will get your emails,and not get clickable links, so you could loose potential visitors clicking to them links
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        I Have to say a Massive...THANK YOU to every Warrior who has helped me, and thanks to every warrior who helps me in the future...
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  • Profile picture of the author WillR
    I haven't noticed this as being an issue as yet but will definitely keep an eye out for it. If you are using both html and text emails like I am, at the very least make sure your links use blue colored text so even if they are not clickable, they will still stand out as links. People can easily copy and paste them if they are interested in going to the site.
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  • Profile picture of the author drmani
    Originally Posted by Dennis Gaskill View Post

    Recently I've been getting complaints from people on one of my mailing lists that the links in my email - sent from Aweber - are no longer clickable. They have to copy and paste them into their browser.
    Dennis, in the HTML version of Aweber's messages, I've
    found that when you use a http:/ link, it does NOT
    automatically get hyperlinked - and you have to
    highlight it, and then insert a link into the URL
    box before it will be active... just the way you
    would do for a text anchor link.

    For text-only emails, there doesn't seem to be a
    problem.

    Another thing that has made me scratch my head in
    wonder is that sometimes the links will appear
    blue in HTML email, and at other times as black
    text which is underlined - NOT easily recognized
    as clickable hyperlinks. Not sure why that happens.

    Maybe there's room for an ebook on 'Aweber Quirks'.
    There are quite a few. Like when you try and
    personalize links in autoresponder follow-up emails
    (like auto-inserting affiliate links) by modifying
    the opt-in form to collect and insert a 'custom'
    field into the hyperlink, and then use link cloaking
    ... the personalization goes awry!

    All success
    Dr.Mani
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  • Profile picture of the author Dennis Gaskill
    Thanks everyone. I think I've got enough to go on now. I've at least got some ideas to try.

    Warriors are the best!
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