Clear labels for links

Provide clear and understandable labels for links

The label or text of the link should accurately describe the purpose of the link and the destination web page or content. Descriptive link text helps users feel confident about where links will take them.

Most assistive technology software provides users with a list of all the links in a document, no matter the users’ current position in the document. The feature also describes all links without their original context.

When writing link text, avoid using common, non-descriptive phrases like “Click Here,” “More,” “Read More” or using only the URL (e.g., http://policies.iu.edu/policies/categories/administration-operations/equal-opportunity/ADA-policy.shtml).

For example: the sentence “for more information, visit the White House page on President George Washington” will sound clearer and more useful to users of assistive technology than “for more information on President George Washington, click here.”

If a document is meant to be printed instead of viewed electronically, then providing both descriptive link text and the full URL is highly recommended.

Steps

To provide a clear label for a link in Microsoft Office applications:

  1. Right-click on a piece of text to open the context menu.
  2. Select the Hyperlink option, or press CTRL + k.
    Note: If the text is already a link, select the text, click or open the context menu, then select Edit Hyperlink, or press CTRL + k.
  3. In the Edit Hyperlink dialog, provide a meaningful description for the link in the Text to Display field.

Edit Hyperlink dialog
Add or edit a link's display text in the context menu