Best Practices for Hyperlinks
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Collapse ▲Hyperlinks are frequently used in all of our digital content, but are we always using them in the most effective and accessible way? Ensuring our links are clear and user-friendly improves everyone’s experience.
Here are a few key guidelines to help us create better hyperlinks:
- Write Meaningful and Descriptive Link Text
The text you use for a link should clearly tell the reader what they’ll find or where they’ll go if they click. It needs to provide context about the destination page or resource.
- Avoid generic calls to action like “Click here,” “Learn more,” or “Read more.”
- Be specific: Instead of “Click here for the report,” use “Read the Extension 2023-24 Annual Report”
- Be Precise About What Text Becomes the Link
Only hyperlink the text that specifically describes the destination. Don’t include surrounding verbs or generic introductory phrases within the link itself.
- Example:
- Instead of: Visit the USDA Forest Research and Development website for more information.
- Do this: Visit the USDA Forest Research and Development website for more information. (Only the description of the webpage is linked.)
- Maintain Clear Visual Formatting
Links need to be easily identifiable.
- On our webpages, the standard format is underlined, red text, which is added automatically when you add a link.
- In other content (Documents, PowerPoints, etc.): Ensure your links stand out visually. Use underlining and/or a distinct color so users recognize them as clickable.
- Use bold font for emphasis, not underlines: To avoid confusion with hyperlinks, use bold text when you want to emphasize a word or phrase, rather than underlining it.
- Don’t Use Raw URLs as Link Text
Never paste a full web address directly into the content and make that the link text (e.g., https://www.example.com/very/long/path/to/a/specific/document.pdf).
- Why? This looks cluttered, removes the helpful descriptive context, and can be cumbersome for screen reader users who have to listen to the entire URL being read aloud.
- Link Directly to Original Sources
When referencing external materials like PDFs or documents hosted on other websites, link directly to their original location.
- Why? Avoid downloading and re-uploading these files in our system. Linking ensures that users always access the most up-to-date version if the original source is updated. It also respects the content owner’s hosting and tracking.
Following these best practices will make your content more organized and easier for everyone to use.