Are you set to compose in HTML?

Tools|Account Settings|<select account>|Composition & Addressing→Compose messages in HTML format

If you want to hand-edit html source, get yourself an add-on that provides an HTML source viewer.

Possibilities are: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/thunderbird/addon/stationery/ https://nic-nac-project.org/~kaosmos/edithtml-en.html

Can I type html DIRECTLY into the body of an email without using a template? What I want to do in put a link in the body but hide the path and only show the filename. For example I would type directly in the body: <a href="somesite.com/somefile.txt">somefile.txt</a>. But when I send this email, the whole html tag in visible as I typed it.

Most email clients will show valid links as active and clickable, so functionally you can get your message across without any additional effort, though it will show the link text. (Personally, in email, I insist on knowing where a link goes before using it, so I wouldn't welcome your formatted links.)

But to enter tags, you MUST set it for composing in HTML. Did you check for that?

If you are composing in HTML, and you have toolbars enabled, then there will be an insert item on your Write window's menu which lets you insert links and arbitrary chunks of HTML code. Some of the options have keyboard shortcuts too. IIRC, ctrl + l (lowercase L) will open a dialog to enter your link and the display text.

You don't need need a template to use either of the tools I gave above, but I use templates myself as it makes the construction of HTML a little more consistent and predictable.

I understand the scepticism in not knowing where a link goes. If I'm not mistaken though, if you hover over a link in an email, the destination address is shown at the bottom of the window. As for setting composition to HTML, Where do I check for that? I couldn't find anything referencing it in the preferences.

Well, if you obfuscate the link, it costs both of us more effort. Inserting the raw link is less work for both of us.

I think you can't see menus or toolbars.

http://chrisramsden.vfast.co.uk/6_I_cant_find_tools_options.html http://chrisramsden.vfast.co.uk/13_Menus_in_Thunderbird.html http://chrisramsden.vfast.co.uk/5_Lost_toolbars.html http://chrisramsden.vfast.co.uk/9_Type_sizes.html