How do I write link text that makes sense out of context?

Write link text that says where the link goes or what it does, so it still makes sense when it is read on its own. "Read our delivery and returns policy" works out of context; "click here" does not. WCAG 2.4.4 Link Purpose (In Context), a level A criterion, asks that the purpose of each link can be determined from the link text alone, or from the link text together with its programmatically determined context, such as the same sentence, paragraph, list item or table cell.¹ The surest way to pass, and the most useful for visitors, is link text that needs no context at all.

Why link text is read out of context

Sighted visitors see a link with everything around it: the product photo, the heading above, the paragraph it sits in. Screen reader users often do not. Many pull up a list of every link on the page and pick from it, or tab from link to link and hear only each link's name. In that list, five links called "Read more" or "Shop now" sound identical. W3C says the intent of 2.4.4 is to help people decide whether to follow a link, including people using assistive technology that lists links on their own.¹

It is a real problem, not a theoretical one. In WebAIM's tenth screen reader survey, "links or buttons that do not make sense" ranked third among the most problematic things respondents meet online.³ WebAIM's 2026 scan of the top million home pages found ambiguous link text such as "click here", "more" and "continue" on 15.2% of them, and empty links, with no text at all, on 46.3%.²

Rewriting the usual offenders

Keep links reasonably short. Put the words that tell links apart first, so someone scanning a list hears the difference early. Use the same text for links that go to the same place, and different text for links that go to different places; W3C's guidance for 2.4.4 recommends both.¹

When "read more" can stay

Designers often want short, uniform "Read more" links under article cards. You can keep the visible words and still give the link a full name. W3C lists several techniques for 2.4.4, including:¹

• Visually hidden text inside the link (technique C7): the link shows "Read more", and the words "about caring for linen" sit inside the same link in a span hidden with CSS, so screen readers read the full phrase.
• An aria-label or aria-labelledby (techniques ARIA8 and ARIA7) that gives the link a full name, such as the article title plus "read more".
• Context in the same list item or paragraph (techniques H77 and H78), which is enough to pass 2.4.4 but still leaves a list of identical links.

If you use aria-label, include the visible words in it, ideally at the start. WCAG 2.5.3 Label in Name (level A) asks that a control's name contains the text shown on screen, so people using speech input can activate it by saying what they see.⁶ Better still, make the whole card title the link, so the article name is the link text.

Image and icon links

When an image is the only thing inside a link, its alt text becomes the link text. W3C lists an image that is the only content of a link and has no accessible name as a failure of 2.4.4 (F89).¹ In stores this shows up as:

• A logo linking to the home page with no alt text. Use the store name, such as "Acme Outdoor, home".
• Social icons in the footer with no names. Use "Instagram", "Facebook" and so on, not "icon".
• A cart or account icon built from an SVG with no label. Give the link a name such as "Cart" or "Account".
• A product card where the image and the product name are two separate links to the same page. Combine them into one link, or give the image empty alt text so the name is not heard twice; W3C describes combining adjacent image and text links as an advisory technique (H2).¹

For more on this, see how to write alt text that actually helps.

Does link text help search?

Google describes anchor text as telling both users and Google something about the page you link to. It lists "Click here" and "Read more" as too generic, suggests reading only the anchor text to check it makes sense by itself, and says it uses an image's alt attribute as anchor text when an image is the link.⁴ So the same habit serves both. That is not a promise about rankings; it is a reason the accessible choice costs you nothing.

Links inside text and target size

Links inside a sentence are exempt from WCAG 2.5.8 Target Size (Minimum).⁵ That does not apply to standalone links such as footer menus, "View all" links or pagination, which need to be big enough to tap, at least 24 by 24 CSS pixels or spaced so they do not crowd each other.⁵ Good link text and comfortable targets usually come together: "Delivery and returns" is easier to hit than "here".

Fixing link text on Shopify and WordPress

• Theme text. Buttons such as "Read more" or "View all" on Shopify often come from the theme's language settings or section settings, and WordPress themes often have similar options or a template. Change them once and every card updates. Where the visible text must stay, a developer can add hidden text with the item's name; Website Mechanic can propose that as a pull request.
• Content links. In product descriptions, pages and posts, select the words that describe the destination before you add the link, rather than adding "here" afterwards.
• Menus and footers. Check icon-only links for names, and make sure two menu items do not share a name but point to different places.

How to check your links

1. Run an automated check. It finds empty links and image links without alt text. Jralo's free check tests your homepage and up to five linked pages against WCAG 2.2 A and AA, and also reads your terms, privacy and contact pages to suggest which countries' accessibility laws are likely relevant, with a link to a guide for each (general information, not legal advice). A tool cannot judge whether "Learn more" is clear in its context, so the next steps matter.
2. List the links. Use your screen reader's links list, or a browser extension that lists links, on your home page and a product page. Read the list without looking at the page. Could you choose the right link?
3. Tab through. Press Tab through the page and listen to, or read, each link's name as it gets focus.

For a wider first pass, see how to check your website in 15 minutes.