What is it?

Descriptive links are hyperlinks whose text provides clear, meaningful information about where the link leads. They act as signposts, guiding students to the resources they need.

Impact

Descriptive links are especially crucial for students using screen readers or other assistive technologies, but benefit all students by improving ease of navigation and comprehension. A key problem problem with using vague and non-descriptive terms such as “click here” or “link” where you add a hyperlink is that a person using a screen reader to find a link will simply encounter a list of links with the words “click here” or “link”. This can also be confusing for any user if there is not sufficient context

Dos and Don'ts

• Avoid "click here," "read more," "learn more," or similar phrases, especially by themselves. These provide no context and are unhelpful.
• Avoid using URLs as text
  • Don't simply paste the URL as the link. It's often long, intimidating, and doesn't tell the student what the linked page is about.
• Avoid the same link text for different resources
  • Avoid using the same link text for different links, even if the destination is a similar resource. This creates confusion and frustration.
• Use concise language: short and clear is best
  • While link text should be as long as is needed to convey its purpose, in general shorter links are easier to progress through.
• Ensure link text makes sense both out of context and in context
  • Link text should be understandable on its own, since screen readers announce them out of context, but if the link occurs in the flow of a sentence or paragraph, it should also make sense when read in context
• Indicate resource and file type when applicable
  • When linking to a video mark it as such (e.g., “Video: How to Create Descriptive Links”). When linking to a file, indicate the file type (e.g., "Course Syllabus (PDF)," "Lecture Slides (PPTX)").

How-To

• Accessible Link Text | Examples, Best Practices and Tips
• 5 Simple Accessibility Tests Everyone Can Do and Why They Aren’t Enough

Need More Help?

You can always book a one-on-one consultation, visit one of our ed tech labs, or email cat@temple.edu for additional assistance!