LinkPurposeClear [rule] v1.0.0

Link text MUST be intelligible out of context — a screen-reader user listing all links on a page MUST be able to determine each link's destination from the text alone. Generic text ('click here', 'read more', 'here', 'this') is forbidden.

Checks

• @community/check-link-purpose-clear

Applies To

@community/type-html-artifact

Severity

high

Severity Combination

link text is generic ('click here', 'read more', 'here') → BLOCK  (SC 2.4.4)
link text is unique but ambiguous out of context         → WARN
link text describes destination unambiguously            → PASS

Failure Mode

Screen-reader users using the 'list links' feature hear ['click here', 'click here', 'read more', 'click here'] — every link is identical. Sighted users with cognitive impairment skim past unhelpful generic text. WCAG SC 2.4.4 fails.

Remediation

• Rewrite <a>click here</a> to read the report as Read <a>the Q4 report</a>.
• If layout requires a generic CTA, supplement with aria-label: <a aria-label='Read the Q4 financial report'>Read more</a>.
• For 'See all' / 'View more' buttons that follow a heading, use aria-labelledby='section-heading' to inherit context.
• Avoid trailing icons-as-link without text — use @community/rule-aria-label-required.

Exceptions

• • Case: Visually-paired card
  • Allowed When: An entire card is a single <a> with a heading and image inside; the accessible name is the heading. Verify with screen reader.
• • Case: Pagination
  • Allowed When: Previous / Next are unambiguous in pagination context but should still receive aria-label='Previous page' for verbosity.

LinkPurposeClear [rule] v1.0.0

Link text MUST be intelligible out of context — a screen-reader user listing all links on a page MUST be able to determine each link's destination from the text alone. Generic text ('click here', 'read more', 'here', 'this') is forbidden.

Checks

• @community/check-link-purpose-clear

Applies To

@community/type-html-artifact

Severity

high

Severity Combination

link text is generic ('click here', 'read more', 'here') → BLOCK  (SC 2.4.4)
link text is unique but ambiguous out of context         → WARN
link text describes destination unambiguously            → PASS

Failure Mode

Screen-reader users using the 'list links' feature hear ['click here', 'click here', 'read more', 'click here'] — every link is identical. Sighted users with cognitive impairment skim past unhelpful generic text. WCAG SC 2.4.4 fails.

Remediation

• Rewrite <a>click here</a> to read the report as Read <a>the Q4 report</a>.
• If layout requires a generic CTA, supplement with aria-label: <a aria-label='Read the Q4 financial report'>Read more</a>.
• For 'See all' / 'View more' buttons that follow a heading, use aria-labelledby='section-heading' to inherit context.
• Avoid trailing icons-as-link without text — use @community/rule-aria-label-required.

Exceptions

• • Case: Visually-paired card
  • Allowed When: An entire card is a single <a> with a heading and image inside; the accessible name is the heading. Verify with screen reader.
• • Case: Pagination
  • Allowed When: Previous / Next are unambiguous in pagination context but should still receive aria-label='Previous page' for verbosity.

Applies To

@community/type-html-artifact

Severity

high

Validates With

• @w3c/source-wcag-22

Severity Combination

link text is generic ('click here', 'read more', 'here') → BLOCK  (SC 2.4.4)
link text is unique but ambiguous out of context         → WARN
link text describes destination unambiguously            → PASS

Failure Mode

Screen-reader users using the 'list links' feature hear ['click here', 'click here', 'read more', 'click here'] — every link is identical. Sighted users with cognitive impairment skim past unhelpful generic text. WCAG SC 2.4.4 fails.

Remediation

• Rewrite <a>click here</a> to read the report as Read <a>the Q4 report</a>.
• If layout requires a generic CTA, supplement with aria-label: <a aria-label='Read the Q4 financial report'>Read more</a>.
• For 'See all' / 'View more' buttons that follow a heading, use aria-labelledby='section-heading' to inherit context.
• Avoid trailing icons-as-link without text — use @community/rule-aria-label-required.

Exceptions

• • Case: Visually-paired card
  • Allowed When: An entire card is a single <a> with a heading and image inside; the accessible name is the heading. Verify with screen reader.
• • Case: Pagination
  • Allowed When: Previous / Next are unambiguous in pagination context but should still receive aria-label='Previous page' for verbosity.

See Also

• @community/check-link-purpose-clear