Link text refers to the text within an HTML anchor tag that describes the destination of a hyperlink. If the words aren’t descriptive, people might not know what the link does when activated.
Missing, misleading, or redundant link text can make your website less useful for all users, and it can be especially problematic for people with disabilities. Link text issues are frequently cited in web accessibility lawsuits filed under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
In the previous paragraph, “frequently cited in web accessibility lawsuits" functioned as our link text. As you read that paragraph, you probably understood that activating that link would take you to another webpage where you could read more about issues that are cited in lawsuits — and that’s exactly what will happen if you click that link.
That’s how link text is supposed to work: It helps users navigate your content and find the resources they need. Unfortunately, many content creators make basic mistakes with hyperlinks.
Below, we’ll provide some quick tips for writing high-quality link text. To discuss another digital accessibility issue, send us a message to connect with an expert.
Vague, undescriptive link text impacts all users
Many people “scan" content for important text. For visual users, hyperlinks are an obvious focal point: Link text is usually bright blue and underlined (more on that in a moment).
But hyperlinks can also draw the attention of non-visual users. People who use screen readers (software that converts text to audio or braille) will often skip around to the most important parts of a web page — and hyperlinks are important for navigation.
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), which are widely considered the standard for compliance with the ADA and other non-discrimination laws, addresses link text in Success Criterion 2.4.4, “Link Purpose (In Context)”:
The purpose of each link can be determined from the link text alone or from the link text together with its programmatically determined link context, except where the purpose of the link would be ambiguous to users in general.
Link text should be concise, accurate, and clear
WCAG’s link text requirement uses a lot of complex terminology, but it’s actually pretty easy to follow. Here’s how to write link text that works for all users:
- Be specific. Users should be able to understand the purpose of the link without additional information. If a screen reader user lands on a hyperlink that simply says “click here" or “learn more,” that’s not a great experience.
- Front-load keywords. Place the most important information at the beginning of the link text. This helps users quickly understand the link's purpose.
- Use concise language. While it’s important to be descriptive, you don’t want to overload the user with too much information. Screen readers will read out the link text in its entirety, so try to keep it brief.
- Avoid using URLs as link text. Long, complex URLs are difficult to read and understand, especially for users with visual impairments.
- Provide context. Ensure the surrounding text provides context for the link. Users should understand the link's purpose without having to click on it.
The simplest (and safest) practice is to use the title of the page as the link text. That’s not always practical, since including the page title might break the flow of your writing — but if the page title is descriptive of the content, it’s probably perfect for standalone links.
Related: Why Page Titles Are Important for Web Accessibility
Avoid redundant link text (and redundant hyperlinks)
Don't use the same link text for different destinations. If you have multiple links that say "Read More," users won't know where each link leads.
This is especially frustrating for screen reader users who may rely on link text alone to navigate. If they encounter three “Read More" links that lead to completely different URLs, they’ll have trouble navigating the content.
Note that we’re discussing redundant link text, not redundant hyperlinks. That’s a separate issue — if you have two hyperlinks right next to each other that lead to the same address, that’s a redundant hyperlink (and a potential ADA violation).
To learn more about redundant hyperlinks, read: How Redundant Links Impact Accessibility
Make sure that all hyperlinks are visually distinct
In this article, we’re focusing on link text, but if you’re auditing your website’s hyperlinks, you should also check for other potential accessibility issues.
- Make sure that hyperlinks are visually distinct from the rest of your text. Some users can’t see color, so you shouldn’t use color alone to distinguish your links. Most hyperlinks are bright blue and underlined, which is perfectly fine for meeting this requirement.
- If you change the default CSS for hyperlinks, make sure that the new color meets WCAG’s thresholds for color contrast. Use AudioEye’s color contrast checker to test color-pairs before making any changes.
- Test your links for keyboard accessibility. Your website needs to be fully functional with a keyboard alone (no mouse). Learn more: What is Keyboard Accessibility?
- If you’re linking to a PDF or another web-delivered document, consider telling users in the hyperlink text or in the surrounding text. This isn’t necessary for meeting WCAG, but it’s a good practice; some people(particularly screen reader users) might prefer to avoid documents.
Finally, have a process in place for testing your content for accessibility. Automated tools like AudioEye’s Website Checker can find most hyperlink accessibility issues, along with hundreds of other potential WCAG conformance issues.
Testing your content regularly will help you find barriers before they impact real-life users — and provide your audience with a better experience.
