# ✎ Technique: Keyboard accessible links

**Source**: https://accessibility.huit.harvard.edu/technique-keyboard-accessible-links
**Parent**: https://accessibility.huit.harvard.edu/keyboard

Links (`<a>` elements) are focusable by default, so it should normally be possible to activate them using the keyboard. However, under certain circumstances, they are not focusable: Unless you are deliberately trying to "disable" a link, make sure it does not take the form of any of these examples.

## Examples

### `href` removal

Sometimes `<a>` elements are used as if they're `<button>` elements, removing the `href` attribute because it is redundant. This will make the link unfocusable and inoperable by keyboard. Unless you want that to happen, don’t remove the `href`.

`<a>click me to execute JavaScript event</a>`

You can use the following CSS in your developer tools to highlight links that do not have an `href`. The CSS produces a red highlight around links that do not work using a keyboard.

`a:not([href]) {`\
`border: 2px solid #c00;`\
`}`

### Inclusion of `tabindex="-1"`

You can control the focusability of any element with the `tabindex` attribute. The value `-1` will make the element unfocusable by the user. However, the element will still be focusable through JavaScript using the `focus()` method.

`<a href="path/to/url" tabindex="-1">I'm currently unfocusable</a>`

See also:

- [Techniques](https://accessibility.huit.harvard.edu/page-categories/techniques)
- [Controls](https://accessibility.huit.harvard.edu/accessibility-topics/controls)
- [Links](https://accessibility.huit.harvard.edu/accessibility-topics/links)
- [Keyboard](https://accessibility.huit.harvard.edu/access-technologies/keyboard)
- [Speech recognition](https://accessibility.huit.harvard.edu/access-technologies/speech-recognition)
- [Switch-based input](https://accessibility.huit.harvard.edu/access-technologies/switch-based-output)
- [Custom widgets and controls ✎](https://accessibility.huit.harvard.edu/content/custom-widgets-and-controls)
- [Keyboard ✎](https://accessibility.huit.harvard.edu/content/keyboard)
- [Support keyboard interaction ✎](https://accessibility.huit.harvard.edu/content/support-keyboard-interaction)
- [Operable](https://accessibility.huit.harvard.edu/techniques/principles/operable)
- [Blind](https://accessibility.huit.harvard.edu/disabilities/blind)
- [Motor impairment](https://accessibility.huit.harvard.edu/disabilities/motor-impairment)
- [HTML](https://accessibility.huit.harvard.edu/web-technologies/html)
- [JavaScript](https://accessibility.huit.harvard.edu/web-technologies/javascript)