Link Text That Makes Sense Out of Context
Kill click here so links read well on their own.
Link Text That Makes Sense Out of Context is a free Web Accessibility Academy lesson on CoddyKit — lesson 2 of 4. You can read the complete lesson below for free — then practise it hands-on in the browser with a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor. It is part of the Web Accessibility Academy learning path, one of 4 lessons in the course, and your progress syncs across the web and the CoddyKit app.
Links Out of Context
Screen reader users often pull up a list of every link on a page. Each one must make sense on its own, with no surrounding sentence.
The Click Here Trap
Imagine a list of ten links that all just say click here. Out of context they are useless, because nothing tells them apart. 😕
<a href="/report">click here</a>Describe the Destination
Good link text names where you are going. Use the page or document title so the link reads clearly all by itself.
<a href="/report">Read the 2025 report</a>Read More Is Weak
Phrases like read more and learn more repeat across a page and tell no one what they actually lead to.
Front-Load the Meaning
Put the most useful words at the start of the link. Users scanning by first letter find the right one faster that way.
Avoid the Bare URL
A raw URL as link text reads as a long string of letters and slashes aloud. Use human words that name the destination instead.
Keep Matching Links Consistent
If two links go to the same place, give them the same text. Different wording for one destination just confuses people.
When You Truly Need More
If short visible text must stay, aria-label can give the link a fuller accessible name that screen readers announce.
<a href="/report" aria-label="Read the 2025 report">Read more</a>Match Visible and Spoken
When you add a label, keep the visible words inside the accessible name so voice-control users can still say what they see.
Mind Icon-Only Links
A link that is just an icon has no text to read. Give it a visible label or an accessible name, never nothing.
Skip Here Words
You usually do not need the word link in your text. The screen reader already announces the role, so it would be said twice.
Quick Check
Why is link text like click here a problem for screen reader users?
Recap
Write link text that stands alone and names its destination. Drop click here, and every link becomes self-explanatory. ✨
Frequently asked questions
Is the “Link Text That Makes Sense Out of Context” lesson free?
Yes — the full text of “Link Text That Makes Sense Out of Context” is free to read here on the web, and the Web Accessibility Academy course includes 4 lessons in total. To practise it interactively (a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor) and unlock the rest of the Web Accessibility Academy course, upgrade to CoddyKit PRO.
What will I learn in “Link Text That Makes Sense Out of Context”?
Kill click here so links read well on their own. You practise Web Accessibility Academy with hands-on code you run directly in the browser, and a 24/7 AI tutor answers your questions as you work through the lesson.
Do I need any experience to start Web Accessibility Academy?
No prior experience is required. Web Accessibility Academy on CoddyKit is structured for beginners through advanced learners; this is — lesson 2 of 4, so you can start here or from the beginning and move at your own pace.
How long does the “Link Text That Makes Sense Out of Context” lesson take?
Most CoddyKit lessons take about 5–10 minutes. Each one is bite-sized and interactive, so you make steady progress and pick up exactly where you left off across the web and the app.
Can I write and run code in this Web Accessibility Academy lesson?
Yes. Every Web Accessibility Academy lesson includes a built-in code editor, so you write and run real code right in your browser and get instant AI feedback — no local setup required.
All lessons in this course
- Links Go Places, Buttons Do Things
- Link Text That Makes Sense Out of Context
- Buttons That Announce What They Do
- The href-less Anchor Anti-Pattern