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### 48.1 Following URLs

`M-x browse-url RET url RET`

  Load a URL into a Web browser.

The Browse-URL package allows you to easily follow URLs from within Emacs. Most URLs are followed by invoking a web browser; ‘`mailto:`’ URLs are followed by invoking the `compose-mail` Emacs command to send mail to the specified address (see Sending Mail).

The command `M-x browse-url` prompts for a URL, and follows it. If point is located near a plausible URL, that URL is offered as the default. The Browse-URL package also provides other commands which you might like to bind to keys, such as `browse-url-at-point` and `browse-url-at-mouse`.

You can customize Browse-URL’s behavior via various options in the `browse-url` Customize group. In particular, the option `browse-url-mailto-function` lets you define how to follow ‘`mailto:`’ URLs, while `browse-url-browser-function` lets you define how to follow other types of URLs. For more information, view the package commentary by typing `C-h P browse-url RET`.