Write helpful links

Source: https://accessibility.huit.harvard.edu/write-helpful-links Parent: https://accessibility.huit.harvard.edu/content-creator-essentials

Links allow users to navigate a website or web application. An effective link is self-explanatory, telling the user where they will go if they click on the link. Links are also easy to distinguish from other content.

• Put key words at the beginning of the link phrase. Links that begin with key words are easier to scan, because the important words appear early in the link phrase. For people who have content read aloud by software, unique and descriptive links with keywords at the start of the phrase make it easy to find a clear path to the information they are seeking. In the absence of effective links, users may have to follow links in order to ascertain their destination.
• Use underlines, especially for inline links. Typically, links are colored and underlined so that they can be easily distinguished from other text. Underlines are helpful for people who have color perception impairments that may cause difficulty identifying links that are only identified through color (see Provide visual and semantic structure).

Testing

• Use your keyboard to navigate through all the links on your page and examine the link text. Does the link text make sense out of context? Are the links identifiable as links for people who can't distinguish color?
• Use a link list tool to list links separately from the page. Review the links to ensure they are self-explanatory.

Resources

• Understanding SC 2.4.4—Link Purpose (In Context) (WAI)
• Understanding WCAG SC 1.4.1—Use of Color (WAI)

Related Techniques

### ✎ Technique: Writing link text

Link text needs to clearly and accurately convey the link's purpose.