Yahoo Messenger was once one of the most popular instant messaging services, allowing users to communicate via text, voice, and video. During its peak, millions of users relied on Yahoo Messenger for chatting, file sharing, and link sharing. One particularly useful feature was the ability to send messages and links directly via Yahoo Messenger. For bloggers who wanted to increase engagement, adding a “Send by Y! Messenger” button allowed visitors to easily share posts with their contacts.
While Yahoo Messenger is no longer active, understanding how to integrate such a button can be useful for historical reference or adapting the process for modern messaging platforms. In this comprehensive guide, we will explore step-by-step methods to add a “Send by Y! Messenger” button to your blog, why it’s beneficial, and how you can modify the process for other messaging services.
Why Add a “Send by Y Messenger” Button to Your Blog?
1. Enhance User Engagement
When visitors find useful content, they often want to share it with friends or colleagues. A dedicated sharing button makes this process quick and effortless, increasing the chances of your content being distributed organically.
2. Drive More Traffic
More shares mean more clicks. If your blog posts are being shared frequently via Yahoo Messenger, you’ll likely see a boost in your traffic. Since Yahoo Messenger allowed direct message sharing, it meant that shared links had a higher chance of being noticed compared to public social media posts.
3. Improve SEO and Online Visibility
Sharing content through messaging apps can contribute to link-building and word-of-mouth marketing, indirectly helping your blog’s SEO performance. While Yahoo Messenger itself didn’t provide public backlinks, increased engagement and click-through rates from shared links can positively impact rankings.
4. Encourage Private Sharing
Unlike social media platforms, where posts are visible to everyone, Yahoo Messenger provided a more private way of sharing content. Many users preferred sending links to trusted contacts rather than posting publicly on forums or social networks.
5. Historical and Educational Purpose
Even though Yahoo Messenger is discontinued, understanding how to implement its button helps developers and bloggers learn how to integrate similar features for modern messaging services like WhatsApp, Telegram, or Facebook Messenger.
Step-by-Step Guide to Adding the “Send by Y Messenger” Button
1. Understanding the Yahoo Messenger Sharing URL Structure Send by Y Messenger
Yahoo Messenger allowed users to send messages through predefined URL formats. The basic structure for sending messages via Yahoo Messenger was:
http://messenger.yahoo.com/send?text=YOUR_MESSAGEUsing this format, we can dynamically insert the title and URL of a blog post, allowing users to share specific articles directly through Yahoo Messenger.
2. Creating the “Send by Y Messenger” Button Using HTML
To add a functional button to your blog, insert the following HTML code into your blog post template:
<a href="http://messenger.yahoo.com/send?text=Check out this blog post: YOUR_BLOG_URL" target="_blank">
<img src="YOUR_YAHOO_BUTTON_IMAGE_URL" alt="Send by Y! Messenger" />
</a>Explanation:
YOUR_BLOG_URL: This should be replaced with the actual URL of the post.YOUR_YAHOO_BUTTON_IMAGE_URL: Use an appropriate image for the button to make it visually appealing.- The
target="_blank"attribute ensures the link opens in a new tab.
3. Dynamically Generating URLs for WordPress Blogs
For WordPress users, adding the button to each post dynamically is essential. You can do this by inserting the following PHP snippet inside your theme’s single.php file:
<?php
$post_title = get_the_title();
$post_url = get_permalink();
$yahoo_url = "http://messenger.yahoo.com/send?text=" . urlencode($post_title . ' ' . $post_url);
?>
<a href="<?php echo $yahoo_url; ?>" target="_blank">
<img src="YOUR_YAHOO_BUTTON_IMAGE_URL" alt="Send by Y! Messenger" />
</a>This ensures that each blog post automatically has a unique “Send by Y! Messenger” button that links to its specific URL.
4. Adding the Button in Blogger (Blogspot)
For Blogger users, you can add the button inside Layout > Add a Gadget > HTML/JavaScript, and paste the following code:
<a href="http://messenger.yahoo.com/send?text=Check out this blog post: <data:post.url/>" target="_blank">
<img src="YOUR_YAHOO_BUTTON_IMAGE_URL" alt="Send by Y! Messenger" />
</a>This automatically updates the button link for each blog post.
5. Styling the Button with CSS Send by Y Messenger
To ensure the button integrates well with your blog’s design Send by Y Messenger, add the following CSS styles:
.send-yahoo-button {
display: inline-block;
margin: 10px 0;
padding: 5px;
border-radius: 5px;
background-color: #f0f0f0;
}
.send-yahoo-button img {
width: 120px;
height: auto;
border: none;
}These styles ensure the button looks clean and professional.
6. Testing the Button Send by Y Messenger
Once the button is added, Send by Y Messenger click on it to verify that Yahoo Messenger opens with the correct message pre-filled. If the link does not work, double-check the URL encoding and ensure Yahoo Messenger is properly installed.
Alternative: Adapting This Feature for Other Messaging Apps
Since Yahoo Send by Y Messenger is no longer active, you may want to implement a similar feature using WhatsApp, Telegram, or Facebook Messenger.
WhatsApp Share Button
<a href="https://api.whatsapp.com/send?text=Check out this blog post: YOUR_BLOG_URL" target="_blank">
<img src="whatsapp-share.png" alt="Share on WhatsApp" />
</a>Telegram Share Button
<a href="https://t.me/share/url?url=YOUR_BLOG_URL&text=Check out this post" target="_blank">
<img src="telegram-share.png" alt="Share on Telegram" />
</a>By making slight modifications, Send by Y Messenger you can modernize this feature for today’s messaging platforms.
Conclusion
Adding a “Send by Y Messenger” button was once a great way to encourage content sharing via Yahoo Messenger. Although Yahoo Messenger is no longer active, the concept remains valuable for modern messaging apps. By following the steps outlined above, you can adapt this feature for other platforms like WhatsApp or Telegram, ensuring your blog remains shareable and engaging.
For further blog optimization tips, check out:
Encouraging content sharing is essential for growing your audience, so make sure your blog offers an easy and effective way for visitors to spread your articles!