Accessibility: Links
Why is this important?
- Helps users understand link purpose, especially with screen readers.
- Improves accessibility and user trust.
- Enhances search engine optimization and usability.
When to use it
Use links in any digital content where users need to access additional resources, documents or websites.
How to use it
Insert hyperlinks with descriptive text that clearly indicates the destination or purpose. Avoid vague phrases like - "click here", "more information", "email".
Examples
Instead of writing 鈥淐lick here for best practice tips鈥 or using the raw url text sdstate.edu/bestpractice-tips/digital-accessibility use: Best Practice Tips
Assistive technology, such as a screen reader, can search for all hyperlinks on a page.
- Make hyperlink text descriptive and meaningful so it makes sense out of its context.
- If a link is short and easy to understand, such as www.google.com or www.sdstate.edu, raw URL text is acceptable.
- When hyperlinking an image, provide both a description of the image and the destination of the link in the alternative text.
- Set hyperlinks to open in a new tab so the user鈥檚 place in the current page is not lost.
Tip for Checking Accessibility
Hover over links to ensure the text clearly describes the destination.