Because links are so basic to the functionality of web content, inaccessible links are one of the most severe barriers to overall accessibility.
For example, users who rely on screen readers need link names to be concise but also provide the appropriate context. Users may have the links read to them by their screen readers, so it is paramount that link names are descriptive and are not unnecessarily lengthy.
Best practices
Links should be:
- Descriptive so users can easily know which link they have navigated to
- For example, it’s easier to read link purpose guidelines than https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/quickref/?showtechniques=121#link-purpose-in-context
- Concise so users with screen readers can quickly discern the distinguishing information of the link
- Each link should make sense if read alone; rewrite to avoid ambiguous text such as ‘visit this page’ or ‘click here’
- Unique so users can differentiate between similar but different links
Styling links
Habit and years of practice make most people assume that underlined blue text is a link. This continues to be the best way to style your links to make a clear distinction between links and regular text.
Color contrast also plays a roll in distinguishing links from surrounding text. This is especially true if you are not underlining the links. Colors for active, hover, and focus states need to be considered as well. Check your link color contrast with WebAIM’s Link Contrast Checker.
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