diff --git a/packages/api/src/services/save_email.ts b/packages/api/src/services/save_email.ts
index 857f343a4..79614502f 100644
--- a/packages/api/src/services/save_email.ts
+++ b/packages/api/src/services/save_email.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 import { generateSlug, stringToHash, validatedDate } from '../utils/helpers'
-import { parsePreparedContent, parseUrlMetadata } from '../utils/parser'
+import {
+  FAKE_URL_PREFIX,
+  parsePreparedContent,
+  parseUrlMetadata,
+} from '../utils/parser'
 import normalizeUrl from 'normalize-url'
 import { PubsubClient } from '../datalayer/pubsub'
 import { ArticleSavingRequestStatus, Page } from '../elastic/types'
@@ -20,6 +24,10 @@ export type SaveEmailInput = {
   unsubHttpUrl?: string
 }
 
+const isStubUrl = (url: string): boolean => {
+  return url.startsWith(FAKE_URL_PREFIX)
+}
+
 export const saveEmail = async (
   ctx: SaveContext,
   input: SaveEmailInput
@@ -37,7 +45,7 @@ export const saveEmail = async (
   )
   const content = parseResult.parsedContent?.content || input.originalContent
   const slug = generateSlug(input.title)
-  const metadata = await parseUrlMetadata(url)
+  const metadata = isStubUrl(url) ? undefined : await parseUrlMetadata(url)
 
   const articleToSave: Page = {
     id: '',
diff --git a/packages/api/src/utils/parser.ts b/packages/api/src/utils/parser.ts
index 6c2ba1ac3..8900fc5d3 100644
--- a/packages/api/src/utils/parser.ts
+++ b/packages/api/src/utils/parser.ts
@@ -44,6 +44,8 @@ const DOM_PURIFY_CONFIG = {
 }
 const ARTICLE_PREFIX = 'omnivore:'
 
+export const FAKE_URL_PREFIX = 'https://omnivore.app/no_url?q='
+
 interface ContentHandler {
   shouldPrehandle: (url: URL, dom: Document) => boolean
   prehandle: (url: URL, document: Document) => Promise<Document>
@@ -562,7 +564,7 @@ export const isProbablyArticle = async (
   return !!user || subject.includes(ARTICLE_PREFIX)
 }
 
-export const generateUniqueUrl = () => 'https://omnivore.app/no_url?q=' + uuid()
+export const generateUniqueUrl = () => FAKE_URL_PREFIX + uuid()
 
 export const getTitleFromEmailSubject = (subject: string) => {
   const title = subject.replace(ARTICLE_PREFIX, '')