How to Get Descriptive Link Text Right
Link wording that tells people where a link goes or what it does, such as "Download the 2026 price list", rather than "click here" or "read more".
Marcus Adeyemi
Where most projects go wrong
The usual mistakes:
- Click here and read more as link text
- Raw URLs as link text
- The same text linking to different places
- Images as links with no alt text
What good looks like instead
- Write links that make sense on their own
- Put the distinctive words at the start of the link
- Name file type and size for downloads
- Keep identical link text for identical destinations
- Review card and teaser links for repeated wording
Why it matters
Screen reader users often browse a list of links out of context, where repeated "read more" links are meaningless, and WCAG requires link purpose to be clear at level A.
The specs that matter
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| WCAG 2.4.4 Link Purpose (In Context), A | purpose can be determined from the link text or its context |
| WCAG 2.4.9 Link Purpose (Link Only), AAA | purpose is clear from the link text alone |
| Screen reader link lists | present links without the surrounding text |
| File links | should state the file type and size |
Knowing when to hand it over
Tip: Bring in help when a content library relies on generic link text, or when card components repeat the same link wording.
Where this comes from
- W3C Web Accessibility Initiative — Understanding SC 2.4.4 Link Purpose (In Context)
- WebAIM — Links and hypertext
The figures and practices above come from the sources listed.
Working on something like this?
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Where to go next
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