Link text must describe the link target

Rule ID Link 1
Definition The accessible name of a link must accurately describe the target or purpose of the link.
Purpose
  • When the accessible name of a link does not describe its target or purpose, users will not have the information they need to determine the usefulness of the target resources.
  • Following links to target resources that do not provide the expected informational value is inefficient and potentially frustrating.
Mappings
  • HTML4 Legacy Techniques (Required)
  • HTML5 and ARIA Techniques (Required)
WCAG Success Criteria

2.4.4 Link Purpose (In Context) (Level A, Primary Success Criterion)

Other Related Success Criterion:

Rule Category Links
Scope Element
Target Resources a and area elements and elements with role="link" attribute
  • [role=link]
  • a
  • area
Techniques
  • The text content of a link, which is its default accessible name, should uniquely describe the target or purpose of the link.
  • Use aria-label, aria-labelledby or the title attribute to provide a more descriptive accessible name when the text content of the link cannot be changed.
  • Use aria-describedby to provide additional information for links that share the same accessible name but have different contexts to allow users to differentiate among them.
  • If the content of a link includes an img element, the accessible name for the link will incorporate the text alternative specified for the image.
Manual Checks
  • Read the accessible name for each link aloud and make sure that it describes the target or purpose of the link.
Informational Links