Accessible Link Text: Clear Examples Beyond “Click Here”

Good link text tells people what a link does or where it leads. Labels such as “click here” and long, unexplained URLs can be confusing—especially when someone encounters links out of context. These accessible link text examples show how to write clearer labels for web pages, documents, and print materials.

Key Takeaways

• Name the destination or action in the link text: “Read the library’s borrowing guide” is more informative than “Click here.”
• Make repeated links distinguishable when people encounter them in a screen-reader links list or move through a page by keyboard.
• WCAG allows link purpose to be understood from the link text alone or from the text and its programmatically determinable context. Clear standalone text is often more robust.
• A full URL can be useful when readers need to copy, verify, or type it—particularly in print or plain-text instructions. Present it in a readable form and explain what it is for.

What useful link text tells readers

A link label should give readers a reasonable idea of the destination or action before they follow it. It does not have to describe every detail of the target page; it should provide enough information to help someone decide whether to open it.

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Success Criterion 2.4.4, Link Purpose (In Context), says that a link’s purpose must be determinable from its text alone or from its text together with programmatically determined context, with a limited exception for ambiguity to users generally. WCAG’s Level AAA criterion 2.4.9 sets the stricter expectation that purpose be determinable from link text alone.

Writing descriptive labels is a practical way to make links easier to understand across different reading and browsing styles, without relying on surrounding prose to explain a vague label.

Before-and-after accessible link text examples

For example, instead of attaching a vague link to a sentence:

<p>For details about borrowing books, <a href="/borrowing">click here</a>.</p>

Name the destination in the link itself:

<p>Read the <a href="/borrowing">library borrowing guide</a>.</p>

The second version remains meaningful when the link is heard or viewed without the rest of the sentence. Use a real destination in your own page; /borrowing here is illustrative.

Make repeated links distinguishable

Imagine a page with several course descriptions, each ending in “Learn more.” A sighted reader may infer which course each link belongs to from its position and nearby layout. Someone using a screen reader may instead open a list of links to scan or jump among them. If that list contains “Learn more” several times, the labels do not identify which course each link opens.

Use labels that include the relevant subject:

• “Learn more about the biology course”
• “Learn more about the history course”

Keyboard users also move through interactive elements, including links, using keyboard navigation such as the Tab key. They need to identify the focused link and decide whether to follow it. Descriptive labels help, while repeated generic labels can make links harder to distinguish. Keyboard focus should also be visibly indicated; good wording does not replace a visible focus indicator.

Context can sometimes make a short label clear, but do not assume every reader will encounter the link alongside the surrounding text. When practical, make the link text useful on its own.

When a full URL is useful

A raw URL is not automatically wrong. It can be useful when readers need to copy or type an address, check which domain they are visiting, or follow instructions in a printed or plain-text document where a clickable link may not be available.

For web content, prefer a descriptive label when the URL itself is not important to the reader. Long addresses can be difficult to scan and may contain opaque paths, tracking parameters, or other details that do not explain the destination. Do not disguise a surprising destination with misleading link text; the label should match where the link goes.

For print materials or plain-text instructions, provide the address in a form readers can use. For example:

Apply for a library card at https://library.example.org/apply.

If the address is long, consider whether you can provide a stable, readable page address instead. Do not shorten it in a way that hides the destination from readers who need to assess or type it. In a web page that will also be printed, a descriptive link may be accompanied by its visible address when readers need that address on paper.

Common Mistakes

• Using “click here” as the entire label. It describes an input method, not the destination, and does not work well for people using touch, voice control, or keyboard navigation.
• Repeating “read more” without identifying what comes next. Add the relevant page, article, or item to the label.
• Assuming nearby text always solves the problem. WCAG permits certain context to contribute when it is programmatically determinable, but people may navigate links separately. Standalone wording is generally clearer.
• Using a URL that is too long to be useful. Keep it visible when readers need the address; otherwise, link descriptive text to the destination.
• Relying on a title attribute to explain a vague label. Put important destination or action information in the link text rather than making readers depend on an extra attribute.
• Writing a label that promises the wrong thing. Check that the destination and any format or action described in the label are accurate.

Best Practices

1. Describe the destination or action. Use wording such as “Check your application status” or “Download the event schedule (PDF).”
2. Check links out of context. Read just the page’s link labels. If several sound identical, revise them to identify their different destinations.
3. Keep labels concise but specific. Include the subject that distinguishes the destination; avoid copying an entire sentence into a link when a shorter phrase will do.
4. Be transparent about files and actions. Mention a file type when it helps readers know what they will open or download.
5. Preserve useful URLs in print and plain text. Explain why the address is provided, and use a readable address when possible.
6. Test the experience. Navigate links by keyboard and, where possible, check how link labels appear in a screen reader’s links list. Also confirm that the visible focus indicator is easy to see.

Conclusion

Replace vague labels with link text that identifies a destination or action. Clear wording helps readers decide where to go, remains useful when links are encountered separately from their surrounding text, and makes web and printed instructions easier to follow. Keep full URLs when readers need the address itself, and present them in a readable, purposeful way.

References

• W3C: Understanding Success Criterion 2.4.4, Link Purpose (In Context)
• W3C: Understanding Success Criterion 2.4.9, Link Purpose (Link Only)