Using Descriptive Links in Extension Content
go.ncsu.edu/readext?524902
en Español / em Português
El inglés es el idioma de control de esta página. En la medida en que haya algún conflicto entre la traducción al inglés y la traducción, el inglés prevalece.
Al hacer clic en el enlace de traducción se activa un servicio de traducción gratuito para convertir la página al español. Al igual que con cualquier traducción por Internet, la conversión no es sensible al contexto y puede que no traduzca el texto en su significado original. NC State Extension no garantiza la exactitud del texto traducido. Por favor, tenga en cuenta que algunas aplicaciones y/o servicios pueden no funcionar como se espera cuando se traducen.
Português
Inglês é o idioma de controle desta página. Na medida que haja algum conflito entre o texto original em Inglês e a tradução, o Inglês prevalece.
Ao clicar no link de tradução, um serviço gratuito de tradução será ativado para converter a página para o Português. Como em qualquer tradução pela internet, a conversão não é sensivel ao contexto e pode não ocorrer a tradução para o significado orginal. O serviço de Extensão da Carolina do Norte (NC State Extension) não garante a exatidão do texto traduzido. Por favor, observe que algumas funções ou serviços podem não funcionar como esperado após a tradução.
English
English is the controlling language of this page. To the extent there is any conflict between the English text and the translation, English controls.
Clicking on the translation link activates a free translation service to convert the page to Spanish. As with any Internet translation, the conversion is not context-sensitive and may not translate the text to its original meaning. NC State Extension does not guarantee the accuracy of the translated text. Please note that some applications and/or services may not function as expected when translated.
Collapse ▲
Descriptive links have a significant impact on accessibility and are an important part of creating clear, concise content on North Carolina Cooperative Extension web pages.
What Exactly Is a Descriptive Link, and Why Should You Use One?
A descriptive link provides readers with the proper context of where a link will take them once they click on it. Assistive technology, like screen readers, often navigate websites by going from link to link, so providing descriptive links that make sense is extremely important for web accessibility.
Take a look at the following examples:
1) To visit our EIT Meet the Team page, click here.
2) Visit our EIT Meet the Team page: https://eit.ces.ncsu.edu/people/
Example #1 offers no context of where you might end up once you click the link.
Example #2 is difficult for something like a screen reader to decipher any context from the link.
With those in mind, see how this example differs:
3) Visit the EIT Meet the Team page to find out more information about our team.
Example #3 offers a clear description of what the link is, and where it will take you once you click on it.
When creating links on news posts or pages, keep in mind these best practices, while thinking about accessibility:
- Avoid linking to an image or PDF with no description of the information contained within or introductory blurb (this is doubly true when a user has their “show images” option turned off)
- Avoid linking to a straight text URL (i.e., https://eit.ces.ncsu.edu/)
- Avoid generic “action” terms (i.e., click here, learn more) – be as descriptive as possible!
Using a URL Shortener
An exception to the above would be the use of a URL shortener (i.e., Go Links (preferred), Bit.ly, etc.), as these are used for the express purpose of creating a memorable “shortcut” to content with long URLs.
If you have any questions about descriptive links or any other content issue, please get in touch! You can email me at jmware2@ncsu.edu.
If you’d like to learn more about web accessibility and why it’s important, more information is available on the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative site.