Web Development
Web Developer Guidelines
Visual Design Recommendations

Checkpoint 3.3 - Core

URLs are not used as the displayed text of a hyperlink

WCAG 1.0 Priority 2

WCAG Guideline 13. Provide clear navigation mechanisms.

It is important to ensure that users have a clear understanding of where they are going. URLs used as links do not always identify a target of such link. This could be especially frustrating for users of screen readers and other assistive technology devices.

Additionally, URLs contain a lot of superfluous information which gets read out to the user by the screed reader adding to page "noise".

Requirement

Do not use the contents of the URL as the displayed text of a hyperlink.

Checking Tool

  • View web pages in the browser ensure URLs are not used as link text

Information Source

The original source of this information is located on the W3C web site  (www.w3.org/TR/WCAG10-TECHS/#tech-meaningful-links)

 

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