Links

Instead of saying:

"If you want to learn more about active voice, click here."

Try:

"Learn more about the active voice."

Why? Because you are an expert. You know the value of the resource, and the students respect your subject matter authority. Be direct when telling your students where a link is going.

A call to action gets to the point of what the student needs to do.

If you say:

"Go here to fill out the class survey"

This does not tell the screen reader users what where they are headed (e.g., "here").

Instead, say:

"Fill out the class survey"

This is clear and action-oriented.

When you add a link:

1. Open the Rich Content Editor.
2. Highlight the meaningful text (e.g., "class survey").
3. Use the Link Options tool to connect the text to the web address.
4. Put the web address in the Link field, not the Text field.

Some links follow different rules. Email addresses and phone numbers can be turned into links that work well on mobile devices. These are handled a little differently, and you can find more details in the Additional guidance section.

People do not need to see the whole URL (e.g., "www.tamucc.edu/abcde"). They will just select the link. If you think students will print the page and need the link, ask your IT team or Canvas support if there is a way to show the URL in a print-friendly version.

If you use the same link text (e.g., "Course survey"), it should always go to the same place. Do not send students to different pages with the same label. It is confusing.

Just like a good heading, your link should be easy to understand at a glance. It does not need to be a full sentence.

These do not tell users what to expect, especially for people using screen readers:

• "Here"
• "Click here"
• "Read more"
• "Learn more"

This guide includes examples of good link text. Use them for inspiration!

Great question! The answer is: they will know because of how the link looks.

On the web, links usually follow a standard style: they are underlined and often a different color. This has become the standard, just like how bold text is often associated with headings. Because of this consistency, people recognize underlined text as a link without needing extra instructions like "click here."

In fact, saying "click here" can actually make things more confusing, especially for people using screen readers. It is better to let the link text itself describe where it goes.

So instead of:

"Click here to view the course schedule"

Use:

"View the course schedule"

It is clear, direct, and easy to recognize as a link. No extra words are needed.

Also, link styles are pre-defined in the platform. You do not need to take the extra step of underlining a link.

Screen readers do more than just read text out loud. They also tell users about the structure and meaning of the content. For example, if something is marked as a heading, the screen reader will say it is a heading and what level it is. But if it is just bold text without proper formatting, the screen reader will not say anything special.

When a screen reader user reaches a link, the screen reader announces the link text and lets the user know it is a link.

But there is another helpful feature: screen readers can pull up a list of all the links on a page. This helps users quickly scan for links without having to go through all the content, line by line.

That is why it is so important to make sure link text is clear and meaningful on its own. Instead of using vague phrases like "click here," it is better to use link text that tells users exactly where the link will take them, like "View our accessibility guide" or "Download the exam results."

Link text should be just long enough to clearly describe the destination, but not so long that it becomes hard to scan or listen to, especially for screen reader users.

• Do use: Short, descriptive phrases like "View class schedule" or "Read about nocturnal creatures that live on campus."
• Avoid: Long sentences or entire paragraphs as link text.

Screen reader users often use a feature that lists all the links on a page. If the link text is too long or vague, it is harder to quickly find what they need.