Accessibility · hard · v4.6.1

ACC-01

Write descriptive link text. Never use 'click here' or 'learn more' as standalone links.

Pass example

Read our accessibility guidelines

Fail example

Click here to learn more

Relevant content types

Weighted in these moments

This standard behaves differently depending on the reader's moment. Moment-aware evaluation picks one of these adjustments when the moment matches.

  • first_encounter — emphasize
    New users rely on clear link text to orient themselves.

Example pairs

Concrete before/after pairs observed in public style guides, each with inline attribution. See /sources for the full source list and licensing.

  • browsing_discovery · short_ui_copyOGL-3.0

    Not this. Click here to learn more.

    But this. Read the full benefits guide.

    GOV.UK: link text must describe the destination. 'Click here' fails for screen-reader users who hear links out of context. — GOV.UK Style Guide · Links

  • long_form_copy · long_form_copyall-rights-reserved

    Not this. The documentation (see here) has more.

    But this. See the full API documentation.

    Primer: link the descriptive noun phrase, not the parenthetical. Meaningful link text works out-of-context. — GitHub Primer · Accessibility — Link text

Sources

Style guides that shaped this standard. Each is listed on /sources with its license and opt-out path.

  • GOV.UK Style Guide
  • GitHub Primer
  • USWDS

Version history

  1. v4.6.1 · 2026-04-23

    Per-standard version tracking introduced. Every standard starts at the library version current at introduction; bump per-standard when the rule text, examples, or content_type_notes change.

Related standards

Other standards in the Accessibility category.

  • ACC-02 — Don't rely on color alone to convey meaning. Pair color with text or icons.
  • ACC-03 — Write alt text that describes the function or content of an image, not just what it looks like.
  • ACC-04 — Avoid directional language that assumes visual layout. Don't say 'above,' 'below,' 'to the right.'
  • ACC-05 — Use readable font sizes and sufficient contrast. Body text should be at least 16px.
  • ACC-06 — Don't include preceding articles (a, an, the) inside linked text. Link only the meaningful words.
  • ACC-07 — Write clear, concise form labels. Only mark fields as required when they are truly necessary.

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