• Success Criterion 2.4.4
  • Conformance level A

Link’s Accessible Name Pointing to the Wrong Destination

2.4.4 — Link Purpose (In Context)

Scenario

Setting

An online clothing store's product listing page

What’s wrong

Link accessible name identifying the wrong destination (stale or copy-pasted aria-labels — one platform's name announced on another's link).

Example 

<a href="https://tiktok.com/@brand/video/9182" aria-label="View on Instagram">
  <img src="social-icon.png" alt="">
</a>

Why it matters

A screen reader user hears View on Instagram but is taken to TikTok instead, causing confusion about which app they need.

How to test

Inspect the aria-label or accessible name against the link's actual href/destination: if they don't match (stale or copy-pasted label), it fails.

How to fix

Copy-pasted components are a common source of stale labels; audit aria-label text whenever an href changes.

<a href="https://tiktok.com/@brand/video/9182" aria-label="View on TikTok">
  <img src="social-icon.png" alt="">
</a>

Outcome

A shopper hears View on TikTok and lands on exactly that platform, matching the announcement.

Who is affected

Screen reader users trust the announced destination and can end up on the wrong platform entirely.

Learn more

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