Link Text Best Practices

Last updated: 5/26/2025

The following link text best practices can help you achieve WCAG 2.4.4 Link Purpose (In Context) A and WCAG 2.4.9 Link Purpose (Link Only) AAA and ensure learners have predictable experiences with links, avoiding any unnecessary confusion or uncertainty.

  • Avoid generic or ambiguous link text that relies on additional context or user action to be understood
    • Purpose: screen reader users may encounter link text entirely on its own, without the surrounding content that might contextualize or describe the link; plus, all users benefit if they can understand a link's destination from the link text alone and don't have to spend time reading additional content
    • DO example: Learn more about electronic accessibility at UC.
    • DO NOT examples: Visit the Electronic Accessibility website to learn more about accessibility at UC.
      • Other common generic/ambiguous link phrases to be avoided on their own: "click here" or "here"; "link"; "pdf"; "video"; "source"; etc.
  • Use descriptive link text instead: link text that describes the link's specific purpose and/or destination
    • Purpose: descriptive link text helps users predict behavior, save time and avoid uncertainty; plus, alignment between link text and link purpose and/or destination — like using a destination web page's HTML- and/or H1-defined title in the link text — helps assure users that a link functioned as intended
    • DO example: WCAG 2.1 is a commonly-adopted technical standard.
    • DO NOT example: WCAG 2.1 is a commonly-adopted technical standard: click here.
  • Do not use URLs as link text (except in print, live presentations and other contexts wherein users cannot click a link); if you want/need to share a URL, share it as plain text after the link
  • Use unique link text: no two links in the same environment should use the same exact link text unless they direct to the same exact destination
    • Purpose: if multiple links use the same exact link text but direct to different destinations, users will not be able to differentiate links by the link text alone and will be forced to invest additional time reading surrounding content or clicking on the links in order to differentiate them
    • DO example: You can learn about electronic accessibility through the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI), and you can learn about electronic accessibility through WebAIM.
    • DO NOT example: You can learn about electronic accessibility through the Web Accessibility Initiative, and you can learn about electronic accessibility through WebAIM.
  • Include the file type in the link text when linking to a file
    • Purpose: this prepares users to expect the unique behavior that occurs when one engages with a link — such as an "open or save file" dialog appearing or knowing that one must then check one's Downloads folder — and it informs users what software is needed to use the file (which may prevent unnecessary downloads)
    • DO example: Explore the UC IT Accessibility policy (PDF).
    • DO NOT example: Explore the UC IT Accessibility policy.
  • Reserve the underline font style for link text (and citation formats that require it) and/or use a link text color that achieves at least 3:1 contrast with body text (and contrasts with its background as necessary)
    • Purpose: per WCAG 1.4.1 Use of Color (A), users must be able to identify link text by a means other than color alone; if the underline style is reserved for link text, it can serve as that means, but if you also use the underline style for other purposes, like providing emphasis, users won't reliably be able to tell if, say, underlined text is a link or just being emphasized (use bold instead for emphasis)
    • DO example: These best practices will help you craft more accessible hyperlinks.
    • DO NOT example: These best practices will help you craft more accessible hyperlinks.
  • If an image hosts a link, its alt text serves as its link text and should be chosen accordingly; if additional visual information within the image needs to be conveyed to users, do so through body text instead of alt text
    • Purpose: alt text serving as a linked image's link text is just how linked images work, but in another sense, if an image hosts a hyperlink, the link destination/purpose is the most important thing about the image users need to know
    • DO example: Consider the UCOP logo image at the very start of this web page, in the top-left corner; it hosts a link to the UCOP website homepage, so its alt text is "University of California Office of the President," which would be appropriate link text for a link directing to that destination
    • DO NOT example: "University of California Office of the President logo" would be more appropriate alt text if that UCOP logo image did not serve as a link, but using that alt text when the image does serve as a link might give users the impression that the link directed them to the logo image file rather than to the UCOP website home page

See also within the Checklist