• Success Criterion 2.4.4
  • Conformance level A

Link Name So Long It Buries the Link’s Actual Purpose

2.4.4 — Link Purpose (In Context)

Scenario

Setting

A social media platform's settings menu

What’s wrong

Excessively verbose link names — an entire card's text concatenated into a single link announcement, burying the purpose.

Example 

<a href="/settings/privacy" aria-label="Privacy. Manage who can see your posts, comment on your content, and message you directly. Last updated 3 months ago. Recommended for most users. Tap to open privacy settings.">
  <h3>Privacy</h3>
  <p>Manage who can see your posts...</p>
</a>

Why it matters

A screen reader reads an entire paragraph before the user learns this link simply opens Privacy settings, slowing every pass through the menu.

How to test

Read the link's full accessible name aloud: if an entire card's text has been concatenated into one link name, burying the actual purpose in verbosity, it fails.

How to fix

Keep the accessible name short and put supporting detail in the visible, separately-read description.

<a href="/settings/privacy">
  <h3>Privacy</h3>
  <p>Manage who can see your posts, comment, or message you.</p>
</a>

Outcome

A user scanning settings hears Privacy quickly and moves on to the next option without delay.

Who is affected

Screen reader users scanning a settings menu must sit through long announcements just to identify each option.

Learn more

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