WCAG 2.4.4: Link Purpose (In Context)
The purpose of each link must be determinable from the link text alone, or from the link text together with its programmatically determined context. Screen reader users often navigate by links, so 'click here' provides no useful information.
What is WCAG 2.4.4 Link Purpose (In Context)?
WCAG 2.4.4 Link Purpose (In Context) is a Level A web accessibility success criterion under the Operable principle. The purpose of each link must be determinable from the link text alone, or from the link text together with its programmatically determined context. Screen reader users often navigate by links, so 'click here' provides no useful information. Common failures include using 'click here' or 'read more' as link text without context and multiple 'read more' links on a page going to different destinations. Meeting this criterion is essential for accessible, inclusive web design.
How to Test
- ✓ Read each link text in isolation — does it convey the destination or purpose?
- ✓ Check for generic link text like 'click here', 'read more', 'learn more'
- ✓ If links share the same text, verify they go to the same destination
- ✓ Test with a screen reader's link list feature (lists all links on the page)
- ✓ Verify that image links have descriptive alt text
Common Failures
- ✗ Using 'click here' or 'read more' as link text without context
- ✗ Multiple 'read more' links on a page going to different destinations
- ✗ Links with no text content (empty <a> tags)
- ✗ Image links with empty or missing alt text
- ✗ URLs used as link text (e.g., 'https://example.com/very/long/path')
✓ Good Example
<!-- Descriptive link text --> <a href="/pricing">View pricing plans</a> <!-- Link with context --> <article> <h2>Getting Started Guide</h2> <p>Learn how to set up your account. <a href="/docs/getting-started">Read the getting started guide</a></p> </article>
The first link clearly describes where it goes. The second link text is descriptive, and context from the heading reinforces the purpose.
✗ Bad Example
<!-- Generic link text --> <a href="/pricing">Click here</a> <!-- Multiple ambiguous links --> <a href="/post/1">Read more</a> <a href="/post/2">Read more</a> <a href="/post/3">Read more</a>
'Click here' tells the user nothing about the destination. The three 'Read more' links are indistinguishable in a screen reader's link list.
Test Your Site for 2.4.4 Compliance
Use our free accessibility tools to check your website against WCAG 2.4.4.
Open Testing Tool