# Redundant Link: What the Warning Means and Fix

Source: https://allyway.ai/glossary/redundant-link

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.

A redundant link is a link that points to the same page as the link right next to it – most often a product image and a product title that are linked separately. Scanners report it as "Redundant link" or "Adjacent links go to the same URL". It is a best-practice alert rather than a hard WCAG failure, but it doubles the work for everyone who navigates by keyboard or screen reader.

## What it means

Sighted mouse users see one card and click anywhere on it. A keyboard user has to press Tab twice to get past the card, and a screen reader announces two links in a row, often "Link, blue sneakers" followed by "Link, Blue sneakers". On a category page with 24 products, that is 24 extra tab stops and 24 repeated announcements.

The related rule is [WCAG 2.4.4 Link Purpose (In Context)](https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/Understanding/link-purpose-in-context.html), a Level A criterion of [WCAG 2.2](https://allyway.ai/regulations/wcag-2-2): the purpose of each link must be clear from its text or its programmatic context. Two adjacent links to the same page usually *do* have a clear purpose, so the criterion is not failed. That is why W3C lists the fix – technique H2, "Combining adjacent image and text links for the same resource" – as an advisory technique, not a required one.

There is one important exception. If the image link has no alt text, it is not merely redundant: it becomes an [empty link](https://allyway.ai/glossary/empty-link), which fails 2.4.4 and 4.1.2 (failure F89).

| Pattern | Result |
|---|---|
| Image link (no alt) + text link, same URL | **Empty link** – WCAG failure |
| Image link (alt = product name) + text link, same URL | **Redundant link** – heard twice, best practice |
| One link around image + text, image `alt=""` | Passes – one stop, one announcement |

> **Note:** > **Best practice, not a blocker**
> A redundant link warning on its own does not make a page fail WCAG. Fix it because it saves keyboard and screen reader users real time – but fix empty links and missing names first.

## Examples

```html title="Example"
<!-- Redundant link: two tab stops, same destination -->
<a href="/shoes/blue-sneaker"><img src="sneaker.jpg" alt="Blue sneaker"></a>
<a href="/shoes/blue-sneaker">Blue sneaker</a>

<!-- Fixed (W3C H2): one link, image alt is empty because the text names the link -->
<a href="/shoes/blue-sneaker">
  <img src="sneaker.jpg" alt="">
  Blue sneaker
</a>

<!-- Alternative: keep the image link but take it out of the tab order and hide it -->
<a href="/shoes/blue-sneaker" tabindex="-1" aria-hidden="true">
  <img src="sneaker.jpg" alt="">
</a>
<a href="/shoes/blue-sneaker">Blue sneaker</a>
```

The empty `alt=""` in the combined link is intentional: the link text already says where it goes, so repeating it in the [alt text](https://allyway.ai/glossary/alt-text) would make the screen reader say the name twice.

**Do:** Do

Wrap image and text in one link, give the image an empty alt when the text names the target, and keep a single "Read more" style link per card only if its text says what it leads to.

**Don't:** Don't

Link the image, the title and a "View" button to the same URL as three separate tab stops, or remove the alt text from a standalone image link to "avoid duplication".

## How to fix a redundant link



Shop templates are the most common source. If you run [Shopify](https://allyway.ai/integrations/shopify-accessibility-integration), check collection pages and "related products" first.

## Questions

Q: What is a redundant link in accessibility?
A: A link placed directly next to another link with the same destination, such as an image link and a text link in one card. Keyboard and screen reader users meet the same target twice.

Q: Is a redundant link a WCAG violation?
A: Usually not. WCAG 2.4.4 is met when each link's purpose is clear, and both links typically are. W3C treats combining them (technique H2) as advisory. It becomes a failure when the image link has no accessible name at all.

Q: Why does the image need an empty alt after merging the links?
A: Because the link text already names the destination. An alt text with the same words would be announced right after it, so the screen reader would read the product name twice.

Q: How do I find redundant links on my site?
A: Look at repeating templates – product grids, teaser lists, headers with logo and site name. Then run the [free WCAG scanner](https://allyway.ai/free-wcag-accessibility-scanner-for-websites) on one page per template to see which link issues it produces.