Identify Target Links

Why it Matters |   How To... |   Testing |   Guidelines

Why it Matters

When a user clicks on a link they like to know where they are going to be taken. Screen reader users are likely to read the link out of the context that it is in, so meaningful link names become particularly important.

Users may not want to open files of a particular file type (a deaf person may not want to open an audio file) so it is important to inform users of the nature of the link.

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How To...

Ensure that the link phrase used is appropriate and meaningful as well as short. Avoid terms like 'click here' and 'read more' as they do not make sense out of context. If a link is to a page other than an html page, tell the user this. Also tell them if the link opens in a new window.

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Testing

Manual testing is the simplest way to test this. Look at the words used for each link. You can also use a screen reader, and view a list of links to check the names are appropriate.

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Guidelines

Checkpoint 13.1 Clearly identify the target of each link.

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