Success Criterion 2.4.4
Conformance level A
W3C reference F89

Image-Only Link or Button With No Accessible Name

2.4.4 — Link Purpose (In Context)

Scenario

Setting

A hotel booking site's room-selection page

What’s wrong

A link or button whose only content is an image has no accessible name — screen readers announce 'link' with no clue where it goes.

Example

A tester reviewing a hotel booking site's room-selection page finds this: a link or button whose only content is an image has no accessible name — screen readers announce 'link' with no clue where it goes.

Why it matters

People who browse by links list or voice commands and need unambiguous link purposes. The practical effect on a hotel booking site's room-selection page: they can't navigate the content by its real structure.

How to test

Check a link/button whose only content is an image: inspect its accessible name in DevTools — if empty or generic ('link', 'image'), it fails.

How to fix

Give the image inside the link/button alt text that states the destination or action.

Outcome

That one change on a hotel booking site's room-selection page means they navigate the content in a sensible order.

Who is affected

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

Learn more

Understanding Understanding document (opens in a new tab)
Technique Related technique (opens in a new tab)