Summary: Create clear, readable links in emails

Who it helps: Recipients who use screen readers or have cognitive disabilities.

Additional benefits: Recipients who are tired or have limited time are able to read and understand where links go.

We often send links in emails and it is important to take the time to create accessible ones. It does not take much to make a link accessible:

• Ensure that the link text clearly describes the link’s destination. Links should let the reader know where they will end up when they click the link. Use descriptive text instead of a URL, unless a URL is very short like accessiblecommunity.org 
• Ensure that the link text is concise. When writing an email, pick a phrase that clearly describes where the link goes instead of linking an entire paragraph.
• Ensure that the link text retains its meaning when taken out of context. If the reader glances at the email and sees nothing but the link text, they should still understand the link.  Screenreaders pull links out of the email so this technique helps them navigate quickly.
• Avoid ambiguous phrases such as “click here” or “read more.”

For examples, check out the links in this email. To learn more, read the LinkText Article on ta11y.org.

In most email programs, the easiest way to create accessible links is to:

1. Copy the desired URL from the browser
2. Write the email content that includes the link text.
3. Highlight the words that will become the link
4. Open the context menu and select the link icon (typically the icon is a small chain)
5. Paste the URL into the link URL box.

This week, try out this technique if you haven’t used it before and start adding accessible links to your emails!