Foundations of Accessible Document Design: Links

This is the final article in a nine-part series covering the basic principles of digital document design. Begin with our first article to review each tip featured in this series!

“Can you send me the link?” 

“Here’s the video link I mentioned.” 

“Open this link for more information!” 

In today’s digital world, links are essential for sharing content. And while we often include links in our emails, texts, and social media messages, they’ve become equally commonplace in our digital documents. But what happens when they all say the same thing: “click here”? But go where?

In this final installment of our Foundations of Accessible Document Design series, we’ll review one simple step you can take to ensure you’ve designed your document with accessibility in mind: use descriptive link text.

Select the graphic for a full-screen display of the Accessible Document Checklist.

Select to expand for full description of Accessibility Document Checklist graphic.

To create accessible digital documents, follow these nine rules:

1. Assign a clear title

2. Use headings for easier navigation

3. Keep it simple with plain language

4. Use lists to organize your content

5. Choose readable typography

6. Be mindful of how and and why colour is used

7. Include alt text for all visuals

8. Use tables for data, not layouts

9. Include descriptive link text

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Rule No. 9: Include descriptive link text for all links in your document

Descriptive link text provides information about a link’s destination. It gives context so readers know what to expect when they access the link. Comparatively, generic link text like “click here” or “read more” provides no direction. Worse yet, simply pasting a URL into your document results in a string of characters that only make sense when the link is opened. This can be confusing - and frustrating! - for many readers, especially those who want to access information quickly and easily. 

Why should I use descriptive link text?

Descriptive link text is particularly helpful for screen reader users. Like headings, screen reader users can pull up a list of links in the document rather than reading through the whole file to find what they’re looking for. Similarly, they might navigate from link to link using keyboard shortcuts. Without proper context, they won’t know a link’s purpose until they open it. And if there are multiple links in a document, they’ll all sound the same - it’s hard to differentiate one “click here” from the next.

Descriptive link text is also beneficial for readers who might have a hard time scanning a document to find the exact link they’re looking for. Generic link text - especially when it’s used in more than one place in your document - can lead to folks opening the wrong link, or needing to reread a paragraph to make sure they know where the link will go. By using descriptive link text, you’ll be offering your readers an efficient way to find the information they’re looking for. 

Best practices for including links in your document

• Don’t just insert a URL into your document. For screen reader users, a URL provides no context, and will be read aloud character by character. Instead, use your document authoring tool’s “insert link” feature to change the URL text to a short phrase that describes the link’s destination.

• Create link text that is concise, but clear. Write meaningful link text that describes the purpose of the link. Avoid phrases such as “click here” or “read more”. For example, if you’re sharing a link to a website in your document, use the title of the website as the link’s descriptive text.

• Do not include the word “link” in your descriptive text. Screen readers announce the word “link” before reading the link text; adding the word “link” within the link text is redundant. 

• Create links that stand out from surrounding text. Use a combination of colour (make sure it’s a good contrast!) and underlining to provide a visual cue for your readers. (Most document authoring tools will do this automatically when you insert a link.) To avoid confusion, do not use underlining or the same link colour anywhere else in your document.

Select the graphic for a full-screen display of generic versus descriptive link text.

Select to expand for full description of generic versus descriptive link text.

Generic link text (no active links): 

• To learn more, visit our website: URL is included with no link text. 

• To learn more, click here. “Click here” does not describe the destination. 

Descriptive link text: 

• Visit The Learning Designers to learn more! Destination of link is described.

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Including descriptive link text for all links in your document is a great step forward when it comes to creating accessible content. By following these best practices, you’ll create a more inclusive experience for your readers, ensuring they can navigate your document efficiently and effectively.

We hope you’ve enjoyed our Foundations of Accessible Document Design series! Looking for more training when it comes to accessible document design? Whether you’re in the market for eLearning modules, virtual training, or document remediation, we have the tools to meet your accessible document design needs. Contact us today to see how we can support your next training project!