Links: Does the Link Make Sense on Its Own?

A good link helps people decide where to go before they activate it. Descriptive link text supports everyone who scans a page, uses voice control, tabs between links, or asks a screen reader for a list of links.

The goal is not to make every link long. It is to make the useful words clickable.

The question that matters

If someone saw or heard only the linked words, would they know where the link goes or what it does?

A Practical Workflow

Name the destination or action.
Use the title of the page, document, activity, or task when it is accurate and understandable.
Select the meaningful words.
Link a concise phrase such as Library research guide or Download the course syllabus (PDF)—not click here, read more, or a long web address.
Insert the link with your tool.
Use the link command instead of pasting the address into the visible sentence.
Keep links recognizable.
Use the tool's default link appearance. Do not remove the underline, change links to ordinary text, or underline text that is not a link.
Test the path.
Open the link, confirm the destination, and check that learners have permission to view it. Retest course links after copying or importing content.

JAWS Links List dialog showing many links with repeated, uninformative labels. — A screen reader can collect the links on a page into a separate list. Repeated labels such as “Read more” lose the surrounding context.

Hear the Difference

When people navigate a page by links, the surrounding sentences may not be available. Compare a list of vague links with a list that names each destination.

Vague Link Text

Transcript

“Click here, link. Read more, link. Click here, link. More information, link.”

Descriptive Link Text

Transcript

“Summer registration dates, link. Library holiday hours, link. Parking permit changes, link.”

Exact announcements vary by screen reader, browser, and user settings. These clips model the difference that descriptive wording makes.

Make the Useful Words Clickable

Examples of vague and descriptive link wording
Avoid	Prefer	Why it is stronger
`Click here` for tutoring hours.	View the current tutoring hours.	The destination is clear before the link is opened.
Accessibility policy: `https://example.edu/policies/accessibility`	Read the accessibility principles.	The sentence is easier to scan and hear than a long address.
`Read more` \| `Read more` \| `Read more`	Link Purpose guidance \| Accessible writing tips \| Accessible design tips	Different destinations have different names.
`Download`	Read WCAG 2.2	The link names both the resource and the file type.

Context can help, but descriptive text is better when it fits naturally. WCAG allows link purpose to come from the link text together with its programmatically connected context, such as the same sentence, paragraph, list item, or table cell. A clear standalone label is still easier for people who scan or use a links list.

Usually leave out “link” or “link to.” Browsers and assistive technologies already expose the text as a link.
Separate adjacent links. Use a list, sentence punctuation, or enough unlinked text so the boundaries are clear.
Keep naming consistent. Links to the same destination should use consistent language; links to different destinations should be distinguishable.

Quick Check

Three course announcements each end with a link labeled “Read more.” What is the best revision?

Keep “Read more,” but make each link a different color.: Color does not explain the destination and should not be the only identifying cue.
Replace each label with its destination, such as “Summer registration dates,” “Library holiday hours,” and “Parking permit changes.”: Correct: Each link remains useful even when it is separated from the announcement.
Replace each label with the complete web address.: Raw addresses can be long and difficult to interpret. Use human-readable destination names.

Create Links Where You Work

Open only the tool you use. In most editors, the shortcut is Ctrl + K on Windows or Command + K on a Mac.

Canvas: Course Links

Use Canvas's Course Links option for pages, assignments, discussions, quizzes, modules, and other items inside the course. This is more reliable than copying a course URL from the browser.

Select the words that should become the link.
Open the Links menu and choose Course Link. Depending on your screen size, Canvas may open the Course Links panel.
Choose the destination within the course.
Save the page and test the link in Student View when appropriate.

Canvas link dialog with fields for the visible link text and destination URL.

After copying a page or course: Test the link again. A copied item may be unpublished, omitted, renamed, restricted, or unavailable to students even when the URL itself appears valid.

See the Canvas guide to course links (opens in a new tab).

Canvas: External Links

Copy the destination address.
Select meaningful words in the Rich Content Editor.
Use the keyboard shortcut or choose Links > External Link.
Paste the address, confirm the visible text, and choose Done.
Save the page and open the link to verify the destination and access permissions.

See the Canvas guide to external links (opens in a new tab).

Microsoft Word

Select the meaningful link text.
Choose Insert > Link, right-click and choose Link, or use the keyboard shortcut.
Paste the destination into the Address field.
Confirm the Text to display, then choose OK.

Word for Windows Insert Hyperlink dialog with the Address field and Text to display field. — Example: Insert Hyperlink in Word for Windows.

Word for Mac Insert tab with the Hyperlink command. — Word for Mac: open the Insert tab.

Word for Mac Insert Hyperlink dialog with fields for display text and web address. — Word for Mac: enter the destination and confirm the display text.

Menus differ slightly by Word version. Microsoft also documents the keyboard-friendly process for inserting links in Word (opens in a new tab).

Google Docs

Select the meaningful link text.
Choose Insert > Link or use the keyboard shortcut.
Paste or search for the destination in the Link field.
Choose Apply, then test the result.

Google Docs Insert menu with Link selected. — Open the Link command.

Google Docs link box open beneath selected text. — Confirm the visible text and destination.

Google Docs may suggest destinations as you type. Verify that the suggestion is correct and that learners can access it. See Google's guide to links and bookmarks (opens in a new tab).

Linked Images, Downloads, New Tabs, and Print

Linked image: Write alt text that names the destination or action, not the image's appearance. For example, Download the campus map.
Download: Include the resource name and file type; add the file size when it would help someone decide whether to download it.
New tab or window: Do not force one without a reason. If a link must open a new tab or window, tell people in the visible text or with accessible supplemental text.
Printed document: Keep descriptive link text. If print access matters, also provide a short, readable address or a reference list. Avoid making a long raw URL the only label.
Email or phone: Use a meaningful label, such as Email the Accessibility Office, and verify the address or number.

Video Explainer

Meaningful Links in Canvas

This 3-minute, 55-second video reviews meaningful hyperlink text in the Canvas Rich Content Editor.

Use Subtitles/CC to turn on captions.
Use Settings to adjust playback speed.
If the video does not load, watch Meaningful Hyperlinks on YouTube (opens in a new tab).

Fix a UDOIT Finding

Use the matching ULEARN guide for current repair steps:

After repairing the markup, read the linked words by themselves. They should still identify the destination or action.

Before You Publish

Each link names its destination or action.
Different destinations do not share the same vague label.
Links remain visually distinct from surrounding text without relying on color alone.
Underlined text is actually a link.
Linked images name the destination or action in their alt text.
Downloads identify the resource and file type.
Every link opens the intended destination, and learners have permission to access it.
Course links have been retested after copying or importing content.

For the standard behind this guidance, see WCAG: Link Purpose (In Context) (opens in a new tab).