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Why can't I use generic link text?
Why can't I use generic link text?

Why link text should not be generic

Updated this week

Q. Why does Monsido flag generic link text as an issue to fix?

  • Why is generic link text an issue?

  • What is wrong with generic link text?

  • What does generic link text mean?

  • Why can't I use generic link text?

Link text should not be generic words such as ''here'' or ''click'' because these terms do not identify the purpose of links in a meaningful way when read by a screen reader. These types of links are flagged as Accessibility issues by Monsido.

Link texts should be written so that they make sense when they are read out of context. Generic texts such as “Click here” and “More” should be avoided because they give no indication as to the destination of the links.

Screen reader users often hop from link to link to find what they need on a website. If the link text is too vague, they can't determine what it is about unless they read the rest of the text around the link.

Examples of link text that may be unclear if read out of context:

Examples of link text that meaningfully describe the link destination in a precise and clear manner:

For this reason, the link text below will result in a violation:

Click Here to read more about xyz

The following would, by contrast, not result in a violation:

great descriptive link text here

To create this policy, check the RegEx, clear the case sensitive box, and enter the following in the Query field:

>((?=here)|(?=click)|(?=click here)).+

Click on the following link from W3.org for more information about this accessibility error:

For more information, see the user guide articles:

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