Link destination is described by link text on its own or by link text programmatically associated with other text on the page (except where the destination is ambiguous to all users).

WCAG 2 criterion

2.4.4 Link Text in Context (Level A)

Tools and requirements

• Siteimprove
• Manual Assessment

Test procedure

This criterion checks to ensure that link text describes the link destination. There are multiple checks to consider for this criterion.

1. The link text describes the destination

Anytime a link is encountered, take note of where the link navigates the user. Then, observe the link text used for that link. The link text needs to represent the destination of the link, or the link plus the surrounding context must supply the destination of the link.

A link with appropriate context describes the link destination when one (or more) of the following scenarios is met

• The link text on its own describes the link destination
• The link text combined with contents of the same list item and/or the parent list item describes the link destination
• The link text combined with contents of the same paragraph tag describes the link destination. (Note, this context should be ideally before the link itself)
• The link text combined with contents of the same table cell, or the table cell plus the contents of the associated table headers.

Examples of appropriate and inappropriate link text are demonstrated below.

Appropriate Example - Link text on its own describes the link destination

Our financial information disclosure can be found on our 2022 Annual Report. If you have any questions about the financial report, please email John C. Smith.

Appropriate Example - Link text combined with the contents of the same or parent list item describes the link destination.

• Annual Report 2022

  • Web Version
  • PDF Version
  • Word Doc Version

• Annual Report 2021

  • View the web version
  • View the PDF version
  • View the Word Doc Version

• Annual Report 2020 can be viewed in the archive

  Annual Report 2022 examples use link text of "Web version," "PDF version," and "Word Doc Version" which on their own do not adequately describe the link destination, since there is a lack of detail about what these links are a version of. When combined with the parent list item text of "Annual Report 2022" the needed context is provided.

  Annual Report 2021 examples use link text of "View" which is not descriptive at all on its own. Combined with both the text in the same list item, and the parent list item, the user is provided with adequate context. Content editors should be discouraged from authoring links in this manner, and you are encouraged to issue at least a warning whenever this is encountered.

  Annual Report 2020 has a link text of "archive" which is further detailed with the context in the same list item.

Appropriate Example - Link text combined with table cells and table headers describes the destination

In the following example, consider the first row and first column as table headers.

If the table you are reviewing only has one row or column designated as a table header, then that is the only other cell that a table cell can rely on for context. If there are no table headers, then only the context within the same cell can be used to determine context.

Context of table headers may not be used if the table is marked as a layout or presentation table (where the <table> tag has role="presentation" applied to it.)

Minimum Example - Link text combined in the same paragraph tag describes the destination

Read our 2022 Annual Report here.

This example utilizes "here" as link text. It would minimally pass WCAG 2's requirement due to the context provided in the same paragraph, but it is highly discouraged. It is recommended to mark a warning whenever this is encountered.

Failing Example - Link text on its own does not describe the link destination.

Our financial information disclosure can be found in our 2022 Annual Report.

Read more here

2. Same link in the same context navigating to different locations

In scenarios when the link text plus context is fully equivalent, the two links must navigate to the same destination.

Fully equivalent link text plus context when comparing two links means that both the link text on its own is the same, and that any additional context the link may have is also the same on the same page. This does not necessarily mean that the context must come from the same source, if you had two links that said "About Us" in different places on the same page, and both links had no additional context, they would be considered two links with fully equivalent link text plus context.

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