Success Criterion 2.4.4
Conformance level A

2.4.4 · Link Purpose (In Context)

Lesson overview · Link Purpose (In Context)

In plain language

Each link's purpose must be clear from its text (or its immediate context).

Who it affects

People who browse by links list or voice commands and need unambiguous link purposes.

How to check

Pull up the links list in a screen reader: no bare 'click here/read more', no duplicates going different places, no unnamed icon links.

Common misconception

“Click here” is the classic failure, but the more common modern version is an icon-only button with no accessible name at all. Both leave a screen-reader user with no idea where the link goes.

Learn more

Understanding Understanding this success criterion (opens in a new tab)

Scenarios in this lesson

Link’s Purpose Explained Only in Unrelated Page Text
Image-Only Link or Button With No Accessible Name
Repeated ‘Click Here’ Links With No Way to Tell Them Apart
Multiple ‘Download’ Links With No File Name or Type Given
Icon-Only Link With No Accessible Name at All
Link Text That’s Just a Long, Meaningless Tracking URL
ARIA Label That Overrides a Link’s Visible Text Incorrectly
Card Component Link With No Accessible Name of Its Own
Duplicate Link Names Pointing to Different Destinations
Link Whose Only Distinguishing Context Is Its Table Position
Link’s Explanatory Text Separated by an Unrelated Ad or Insert
PDF Link With No Indication of What It Actually Leads To
Link’s Accessible Name Pointing to the Wrong Destination
Link Name So Long It Buries the Link’s Actual Purpose