Write links that are concise, descriptive, and meaningful out of context.
Introduction
Links are one of the most basic elements of any digital experience. Learning to write good link text can improve your emails, web pages, course websites, documents and digital content.
Well-written and well-placed links help both sighted people and those who use screen readers or other adaptive technology to consume content. Research has shown that sighted users typically scan pages for links to help them find what they're looking for. People using screen readers can do something similar by touching a button and hearing a list of all the links on a page. Well-placed links provide enough context to help all users make an informed decision about which links they want to follow.
Links demonstration
Learn about accessible links in the video above, or access the video in Kaltura: Accessible Links (4:59 minutes).
Best Practices
Link meaningful text
- Embed most links within other text. Write as you normally would, then highlight the text you want to make into a link, and insert the link.
- Link email addresses with mailto: links.
- Don't display the actual URL as a link. Adaptive technologies users will have to listen while their screen reader reads every single character of the URL.
- Don't link to an email address in other text. For example, if you link the name of the person or organization to an email address, users won't automatically know that the link will open an email client rather than a web page, PDF, or other document.
Accessible links examples
- There are several things to consider in creating accessible link text.
- Learn the difference between accessible, usable, and universal design.
- The article, "The Veil of Ignorance", challenges readers to imagine awakening in a new reality in which they are no longer the person they were with a potentially new social/economic status, gender, ethnicity, appearance, disability or combination. How would this impact the readers approach to design, from building and devices to the Internet?
- Questions? Request a consultation at [email protected].
Be descriptive and concise
Clearly explain in the linked text what information your readers will find when they click on a link. Help them scan the link quickly to determine whether they want to click through and read it.
The linked text should match, in part or in whole, the title of the page returned by the link.
Descriptive link example
Make links look like links, not buttons
Make links in the main content look like links. Browsers underline them by default, and users understand what that means.
Make it visually apparent that users can click on links in menus and other navigation areas.
Potential issues with formatting links like buttons
- People who use voice control software may see something that looks like a button and tell the software to "click the button," but the software may not know to select it if it is really a link.
- People with low vision who use screen reader software may see something that looks like a button, but hear the screen reader say "link" and be confused.
- If a person using a screen reader calls the help desk and gets instructions to "click the button" that's really coded as a link, they could have trouble finding it.