Link Purpose: Write Link Text That Makes Sense
Also called: Link text, Descriptive links, Meaningful link text
Definition
Link purpose is what a link does or where it leads. Under WCAG 2.4.4, users must be able to tell it from the link text alone or together with its programmatically determined context, such as the surrounding sentence.
Link purpose is the answer to "Where does this link take me?" A visitor who sees "Read more" under a blog teaser knows from the layout which article it belongs to. A screen reader user who pulls up a list of all links on the page hears "Read more, Read more, Read more" – and cannot tell them apart. Clear link text fixes that for everyone.
What it means
WCAG 2.4.4 Link Purpose (In Context) (Level A, WCAG 2.2) requires that the purpose of each link can be determined from the link text alone or from the link text together with its programmatically determined link context. W3C counts as context the text in the same sentence, paragraph, list item or table cell, or the table header that belongs to the cell.
There is one exception: links whose purpose is ambiguous to users in general – when even a sighted visitor cannot know before clicking what the link does.
| Link | Verdict |
|---|---|
Download the 2026 price list (PDF, 2 MB) |
Clear on its own |
Read more inside the paragraph about the article |
Passes 2.4.4 through context (technique H78) – but weak in a link list |
Click here in a sentence that does not say where |
Fails – the context is missing (failure F63) |
| Image link whose image has no alt text | Fails – no name at all (failure F89), an empty link |
Links to the same destination should use the same text, and links to different destinations different text – otherwise you get confusing duplicates such as a redundant link.
Examples
<!-- Good: the link text says it all -->
<a href="/returns">Return policy</a>
<!-- Passes through context, but weak in a link list -->
<p>Our garden chairs are made of FSC teak. <a href="/teak">Read more</a></p>
<!-- Better: add hidden context for screen readers -->
<a href="/teak">Read more<span class="visually-hidden"> about teak garden chairs</span></a>
<!-- Bad: no purpose anywhere -->
<p>For our terms, <a href="/terms">click here</a>.</p>Put the destination into the link words ("Return policy", "Contact support"). Mention file type and size for downloads. For repeated teaser links, add the topic as visually hidden text so the accessible name is unique.
Use "click here", "more" or "this link" as the only text, link bare URLs in running text, give an icon-only link no name, or set an aria-label that contradicts the visible words.
How to check link purpose
Questions
Is "Read more" allowed under WCAG?
At Level A, yes, if the surrounding sentence or list item makes the purpose clear. It is still hard to use in a list of links, so adding hidden context or more specific words is the better choice.
What is the difference between 2.4.4 and 2.4.9?
2.4.4 (Level A) allows the purpose to come from the link text plus its context. 2.4.9 Link Purpose (Link Only), Level AAA, requires the link text alone to identify the purpose.
Do link texts matter for SEO?
Search engines use link text to understand the page a link points to. Descriptive anchors such as "return policy" therefore help both screen reader users and search engines, while "click here" helps neither.
Should I open links in a new tab and say so?
Opening a new tab is not required by 2.4.4. If a link does open a new window, telling users in the link text ("opens in a new tab") avoids surprise, especially for screen reader users.
Can allyWay fix link purpose automatically?
Yes. allyWay finds unnamed links on every page and gives them clear names that screen readers can read aloud, written by AI from your page content. The automatic accessibility fixes are applied by the allyWay script, so your CMS, theme and files stay as they are – and every fix is logged. Start for free and see which links allyWay names on your site.
Related terms
Empty Link: What the Error Means and How to Fix It
An empty link is a link element that has no accessible name – no text, no alt text on an image inside it and no aria-label. Screen readers can only announce it as a bare link, so users cannot tell where it leads.
Read definition: Empty Link: What the Error Means and How to Fix ItRedundant Link: What the Warning Means and Fix
A redundant link is a link placed directly next to another link with the same destination – typically an image link and a text link in a product or blog card. Keyboard and screen reader users meet the same target twice in a row.
Read definition: Redundant Link: What the Warning Means and FixAccessible Name: What It Is and How It Is Computed
The accessible name is the text that browsers pass to assistive technology to identify an element – for example the words a screen reader announces for a button, link or form field. WCAG 4.1.2 requires a programmatically determinable name for every user interface component.
Read definition: Accessible Name: What It Is and How It Is ComputedScreen Reader: How It Reads Websites and What It Needs
A screen reader is assistive software that reads the content and controls of a screen aloud or outputs them on a braille display. It relies on the names, roles and states that a website exposes through the browser's accessibility tree.
Read definition: Screen Reader: How It Reads Websites and What It Needs