Website Style Guide

Hyperlink Text - Writing for the Web

Updated: 23rd July 2001

Avoid using phrases such as "Click Here". (This is the equivalent of placing a sign on the door to the offices of the company director saying "Open this" when you should really have a sign on the door saying "Directors Suite".)
The text used for the hyperlink should describe the destination. If this is not possible, then use the main verb.

Example of bad practice:

"Click here to download this file."

Examples of good practice:

"If you wish to view this report off-line a pdf version is available for download."

"For those wanting a more complete solution our expert package page will provide more information."

If a user is scanning a page for a specific link it will be much easier to pick out a link which uses relevant words than it is to pick out the third or fourth "Click Here" in the document.

Also, search engines may use the name of hyperlinks on a page to help determine that page's relevancy in a search result. Appropriately named hyperlinks will be a huge benefit.

• If a hyperlink is at the end of a sentence and therefore has a full stop after it, don't make the full stop part of the link.
• Keep hyperlinks to less than four or five words unless it's absolutely necessary to use this many.
• Sentences/paragraphs should not begin with a hyperlink - the user must have time to read the main clause of this text before they have the opportunity to click on a link to another page.
• Writers can use hyperlinks to split up bulky information into several web pages.
• If a page has several links to the same destination, consider combining them into a single link and present it as an associated link.