Links

Add meaningful descriptions so students know where a link will take them.

Impact

Imagine you are reading your favorite book and want to revisit a specific chapter. You would probably use the table of contents, right? It tells you exactly where to go. Now imagine if that table of contents just said, "Read more", "Click here", or "here" for every chapter—you would have no idea what you were going to!

That is what it is like for people using screen readers when links do not clearly explain where they lead. These users often jump from link to link to navigate a page quickly. If the link just says "here" or shows a long, messy web address, it does not help them at all. In fact, screen readers might read out each letter of the web address, which is slow, confusing, and does not give any real clue about the destination.

Instead, links should be like chapter titles—clear and specific—so everyone knows exactly where they are going with just a glance or a quick listen.

How to

To make your links more useful for everyone avoid vague phrases like "click here" or "read more." Instead, write link text that clearly says what the link is for.

Use active, direct language

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 it going.

Make the link clear using a call to action

A call to action does not beat around the bush. It gets to the point of what the student needs to do.

Instead of saying:

"Go here to fill out the class survey"

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

Special cases

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.

Best practices

  1. Do not use full web addresses as link text.
    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.
  2. Be consistent with your links.
    If you use the same link text (like "Course survey"), it should always go to the same place. Do not send students to different pages with the same label—it is confusing.
  3. Keep link text short and clear.
    Just like a good heading, your link should be easy to understand at a glance. It does not need to be a full sentence.
  4. Avoid vague link text.
    These do not tell users what to expect, especially for people using screen readers:
    • "Here"
    • "Click here"
    • "Read more"
    • "Learn more"
  5. Look at examples.
    This guide includes examples of good link text—use them for inspiration!

Additional guidance

You can learn more about providing proper links and other text with the following accessibility guides:

EIR Accessibility Coordinator

Assistive Technology