Links

What is link text?

Link text is the visible, clickable part of a hyperlink that tells users where the link will take them. For web content to be accessible, link text should be clear, specific, and meaningful on its own—without requiring surrounding context. This helps all users, including those using screen readers or navigating by keyboard, to understand the purpose of each link and move through content efficiently and confidently.

Common Errors


Link text must always properly describe the purpose of the link and where exactly the link will take the user when selected. They should be easily identifiable and make sense when taken out of the context of the surrounding text/content. If the link text is not descriptive, users may not know where the link leads, select the wrong link, or avoid selecting the link in general. Link text such as “Read more” or “Click here” are examples of commonly used link text that are non-descriptive. These link text do not provide any information about where they lead and, when used out of context, they may make it difficult for users to understand the purpose of the link" 

Bad link text: Click here for the full article ✕  

Good link text: WebAIM Links and Hypertext ✓  

Links leading to different web pages should have unique link texts. For example, a user of assistive technology, such as a screen reader, can choose to navigate by links rather than sequentially through the page. Having multiple links with the same link text but different destinations could confuse these users, since they will not be able to distinguish the differences between the links out of context. Even for users that don't rely on assistive technology, non-descriptive links can hinder their ability to find and navigate to the correct destination. 

Bad link text: Read more and Read more ✕   

Good link text: WCAG 2 Overview and MDN Security on the web ✓  

While it is commonplace to use link URLs as link text, this is not an accessible practice. For example, while a sighted user would be able to skim the link https://www.google.com to ascertain its purpose, assistive technology such as screen readers will read out each letter of the link. This may not be a problem for shorter, more descriptive URLs, but for those such as https://youtu.be/vKPGZHoHX8k or https://www.w3.org/TR/2025/REC-WCAG21-20250506/, any user would have difficulty determining their purpose. This is why it is always good practice to replace URL link text with text that is indicative of its function. 

 Bad link text: https://webaim.org/articles/evaluationguide/#links ✕  

Good link text: WAVE Evaluation Guide: Links ✓ 

While links are often used for navigation between webpages, that isn’t always the case. Links can also lead to files such as PDFs and Word documents. This can cause confusion for assistive technology users who expect to be redirected to another page and are instead taken to a document that requires different navigation techniques. To ensure that all users are informed when a link will take them to a document instead of a webpage, it is important to label such links with their file type within the link itself.  

Bad link text: Guidance on Web Accessibility and the ADA ✕ 

Good link text: Guidance on Web Accessibility and the ADA (PDF) ✓ 

Users should be able to navigate to and select each link using the keyboard alone. In most browsers, the tab key allows users to jump between interactive elements (including links), and the enter key allows users to interact with these elements (e.g., following a link). If the only way to access a link is with a mouse, the link will be inaccessible to people who cannot use a mouse.

Expectations

  • Always use descriptive link text. This means using text that clearly and accurately describes the purpose of a link and where it will take the user. Avoid using generic link text such as "Click here" or "Read more." 
  • Ensure that link text is unique. If multiple links lead to different web pages, each link should have its own unique link text. This is especially important for users of assistive technology, such as screen readers. 
  • Use clear and concise language. Avoid using jargon or technical terms that may not be familiar to all users. 
  • Do not use URLs as link text.  
  • Be mindful of the length of your link text. Link text should be long enough to be descriptive, but not so long that it is difficult to read or understand.  
  • When linking to PDF, Word, Excel, or PPT documents, specify the document type (e.g.  "Accessible Document (PDF)") 
  • Avoid copying links directly from emails, as they may contain Outlook safe links. Instead, visit the website and copy the URL to ensure the integrity of the link.

Links in Cascade

Whenever you include a link in the text of a page, you can use the insert/edit link button to make sure there is descriptive text for the link. Descriptive link text can be added in the "Text to display" field in the insert link window.

Example of editing text in Cascade with link button highlighted.Insert link window in Cascade with Text to display field highlighted.