How to view web pages from directly within Thunderbird

by Ross McKillop on October 6, 2008

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This tutorial will guide you through setting up and using the very helpful Thunderbird addon ThunderBrowse, which allows you to view web pages from directly within Thunderbird, without having to open your web browser.

  1. Get started by downloading ThunderBrowse. Install it the same way you do most Thunderbird addons - save the file to your hard drive, from Thunderbird open Add-ons from the Tools menu, and click the Install button. Navigate to the ThunderBrowse file you downloaded, select it and click OK.
  2. Once installed, a pop-up window will appear with info on the recent changes to ThunderBrowse. Close that window.


    3. click to enlarge

  3. Click Next on the initial setup window.

  4. Click the Select a value drop-down menu. Since you probably don’t want to turn Thunderbird into your primary web browser, select Fix what browser links launch in and then click Next.

  5. When asked if you want Tabs enabled, select Yes

  6. Now decide how you want tabs to function. I opted for Links should go into a new tab, but you should choose what works best for you. This can always be changed later. Click Next to continue.

  7. From here you’ll get to enable/disable a bunch of extra features. I left the defaults as they were, but again, feel free to select whatever works best for you. Yet again, click next.

  8. Almost done. Next.

  9. Once your settings have been saved, click Next for the very last time.

  10. Done! Click Finish.

  11. An overview page will pop up. Review the info on that page, then close it.


    12. click to enlarge

  12. Find an email with a link in it, and give that link a click.


    13. click to enlarge

  13. Instead of launching your browser, Thunderbird will open a new tab, and the page will load in that tab. Click that tab (unless you opted to have links automatically open and focus that tab) to view the page.


    14. click to enlarge

  14. If there’s a link in an email that you want to open in your main browser instead of a tab in Thunderbird, right-click that link and select Visit in Browser. The link will open in your default web browser.


    15. click to enlarge

  15. That’s pretty much it. Hope it saves you some time!
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  • How to set up and begin using Thunderbird 1.x (Windows)
  • How to set up Thunderbird to send and receive your Gmail

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    { 2 comments }

    1 ninja 10.06.08 at 10:12 am

    you want to choose browse websites in thunderbird, not fix which browser links launch in

    2 Ross McKillop 11.27.08 at 4:51 pm

    I’m closing comments on this post because for some reason Russian spammers have decided to “pick” on it and the spam keeps making it past the filters. If you have any questions please use the “Contact” link at the top of this page.

    Comments on this entry are closed.