Recommended Tool
- Accessibility@IOWA Link Text Bookmarklet
Key Concepts
- Hyperlinks should stand out visually from surrounding content.
- Links should clearly communicate their destination and purpose.
- Links should make sense when viewed out of context.
- Links should not consist of generic phrases like “Click Here” or “Go”.
- Link text should not consist of URLs or file paths.
- Images used as links should use ALT Text as described here.
Check Hyperlinks
For each webpage or view:
- Visually scan the view
- Are links underlined or otherwise distinguishable from surrounding content?
- Run the Hyperlink text checker
- Visually review the list of links
- Do all links adequately communicate their destination?
- Are any links represented only by URL, file path, or a generic or ambiguous phrase?
Escalate for Remediation
- Links with generic text
- Links with no text
Hyperlink Resources
OCR Video Series, Topic 15: Links
Farewell, 'click here': Choosing descriptive text for your links (Iowa State University)