The rich text editor

Use the rich text editor for tasks and descriptions

Tallyfy’s rich text editor appears wherever you type text - task descriptions, comments, long text fields, and template descriptions. You can format text, add images, embed videos, and insert dynamic content.

Basic formatting

The toolbar includes:

Bold, Italics, Underline
Bulleted and numbered lists
Headings (H2, H3 - useful for organizing longer content)
Code tags and emoticons

Dynamic content (variables, snippets)

On the right side of the toolbar, you’ll find:

Insert Variable ( icon) - pulls in data collected earlier in your process:
- Kick-off form fields
- Previous step fields in the same process
- System variables (Current TaskID, Current ProcessID) - mainly for technical integrations
- See Using Variables for details.
Snippets - reusable text blocks you can drop in with a click. See Using Snippets.
Templates - link to another template inside your current one, perfect for referencing standard procedures or compliance checklists.

Media and elements

The toolbar also includes these insert options:

Insert Image - upload or link to an existing online image
Upload File - attach documents, spreadsheets, PDFs, or other files
Insert Video - upload video files (MP4, WebM, OGG, up to 100MB). Tip: use Embed URL instead for faster loading. More at Adding Videos.
Insert Link - create clickable web links
Insert Table - add a simple table
Embed URL - paste links from YouTube, Vimeo, Twitter, Google Maps, and other sites. The content displays inline - no clicking away.
Page Break - mainly used in Document templates

Pasting content from Word or Google Docs

When you paste from Word or Google Docs, most formatting (fonts, colors, fancy layouts) gets stripped. Tallyfy does this to keep everything consistent.

Best approach: paste as plain text first, then reformat with the editor buttons.

How Tallyfy differs from Word

Built for online workflows, not printed documents
Headings (H2, H3) automatically create a table of contents
Your organization’s branding applies globally - no per-document formatting needed
Images from Word may appear oversized - resize them after pasting
Instead of saved versions, Tallyfy tracks every change in activity logs showing who changed what and when

One-click email links using HTML mode

You can create mailto: links in task descriptions using HTML mode and variables to let users send pre-filled emails with a single click. Their default email client opens with subject, recipients, and body already filled in.

Prerequisites

HTML authoring must be enabled in Settings > Organization > Customization (by default, only admins can toggle HTML mode - this setting opens it to all users)
Variables set up in earlier steps for dynamic content
Users need a default email client on their device

Basic mailto: link

In HTML mode:

<a href="mailto:recipient@example.com?subject=Task Complete&body=The task has been completed.">Click to send status email</a>

Using variables in mailto: links

Combine mailto: links with Tallyfy variables to pull in data collected earlier:

<a href="mailto:{{customerEmail}}?subject=Order {{orderNumber}} Update&body=Hi {{customerName}},%0A%0AYour order {{orderNumber}} is ready for pickup.%0A%0ABest regards,%0A{{assigneeName}}">Email customer about order</a>

Use %0A for line breaks in the email body (URL encoding for a new line).

Advanced mailto: options

Add multiple recipients, CC, and BCC:

<a href="mailto:{{primaryContact}}?cc={{managerEmail}}&bcc=records@company.com&subject=Project {{projectName}} - Approval Needed&body=Please review and approve the attached deliverables for {{projectName}}.">Request approval</a>

Common use cases

Customer notifications - pre-fill order updates, appointment confirmations, service completions
Approval requests - emails with all context for quick approvals
Status updates - one-click reports to managers or clients
Escalations - urgent emails with relevant case information

The email opens in the user’s client for review before sending. Nothing gets sent automatically.

Browser compatibility for mailto: links

Desktop browsers (Chrome, Edge, Firefox): Full support. Look for the protocol handler icon in the address bar and allow your preferred email service to handle email links.

Safari and mobile browsers: Limited. Safari on macOS opens the default Mac mail app. Mobile browsers launch native mail apps rather than web email. You’d need an app like Gmail set as the default handler.

Workaround: If your team uses Gmail, skip mailto: and use Gmail compose URLs instead (see below).

Mailto: links don’t support HTML formatting

Per the mailto: specification (RFC 6068), the body= parameter only accepts plain text:

No bold, italics, hyperlinks, tables, or images
HTML tags appear as literal text
Use %0D%0A for line breaks
Example: mailto:user@example.com?body=Line%201%0D%0ALine%202

For rich HTML emails, use server-side email sending, a web form backend, or have users format manually after opening.

Alternative: Gmail compose URLs

For teams on Gmail, you can create direct compose URLs that bypass mailto: entirely:

https://mail.google.com/mail/?view=cm&fs=1&to=recipient@example.com&su=Subject&body=Message

Parameters: to=, cc=, bcc=, su= (subject), body= (plain text, URL-encoded)

With variables:

<a href="https://mail.google.com/mail/?view=cm&fs=1&to={{customerEmail}}&su=Order%20{{orderNumber}}%20Update&body=Hi%20{{customerName}},%0A%0AYour%20order%20is%20ready." target="_blank">Email customer via Gmail</a>

Limitations: Gmail-only, web-only (opens in browser tab), users must be logged into Gmail, plain text body only.

When to use each:

mailto: - universal compatibility across email clients
Gmail URLs - when all users use Gmail and you want to avoid handler issues
Server-side - when you need HTML formatting, attachments, or guaranteed delivery

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