Links in Email break after testing and sending

@Margaret Minuth
do you have the difference in the link?

the one that gives you 404, what is the link like, and how does it compare to the ones that does work?

@Margaret Minuth, I have an open support case about this same issue. We had a big admissions event registration form link that would generate an error for users even though the link was originally viable and also worked in the test email.

@Margaret Minuth
Keep in mind that HTTP is not secure, as with all donation platform, they must be secure, so generally what happens is the donation platform you use will auto redirect HTTP to HTTPS. Given any good email platform is going to have links that is trackable, it replaces the link with a trackable link then redirect to the link used in the email, this could prove to be problematic on some user device/browser selection.

Say for example, your link is http://onegrace.net/give

when you click the link in email:

• https://some.trackable.link/sadfasifsdofosidnf
• http://onegrace.net/give
• https://onegrace.net/give
• https://onegrace.net/give/

that's 4 redirects before user actually hit the page. Some device/browser is going to error out and have a “too many redirect” error.

So it is best that you use link that will create the least redirects: https://onegrace.net/give/

this way, there will only be ONE redirect from trackable link to the actual link.

Another pitfall is the “NON" use of HTTPS (or HTTP, but avoid still). Without the “protocol” (HTTPS), the link is consider a “relative” link, and will unexpectedly make the link unusable.

Before you send out your email, test send to yourselves, and use DEV TOOL on browser to check the link and see what is the exact link used and trace through the Network tab to see what are all the redirect is linking to.

@Margaret Minuth
I don't know who is the “powers that be” is, but no one can say HTTP is secure as the S in HTTPS literally means Secure

Your website is configure to auto redirect HTTP to HTTPS, so that person may tell you it is secure b/c of the redirect, however, if redirect is the cause of your issue, then avoiding the extra redirect of HTTP to HTTPS may just be the breaking/working point.

@Margaret Minuth
Not suggesting that “onegrace.net” is not secure. I am merely trying to answer your original post's issue being potentially related to too many redirects.

when your email uses a URL link that begins with HTTP, the user (your audience) device will access the URL with HTTP, which will be prompted by your website server that HTTPS is needed, and redirects to the same URL but with HTTPS. If you use URL link in the email is HTTPS to begin with, that's one less redirect the user device has to do, one less chance for the user device to say “too many redirect” error.

what email tool are you using. I find it hard to imagine that the tool does not allow you to directly specify the exact URL to use.