Resource guide
2.4.4 Link Purpose (In Context)
The purpose of each link must be clear from the link text alone or from its surrounding context.
By Calling All Minds·Last updated April 2026
Success criterion
Conformance level
Essential baseline — must meet for any compliance.
What it means
Screen reader users often navigate a page by jumping between links. If every link says 'read more' or 'click here', they have no way to know where each link goes without reading the surrounding content.
Link purpose must be determinable from either the link text itself, the sentence or paragraph it is in, the list item or table row it belongs to, or a heading that labels its section.
In practice
Use descriptive link text: 'Read our accessibility statement' rather than 'Read more'.
For repeated actions like 'Download' or 'View details' next to multiple items, either use unique visible text or add visually hidden text to distinguish them: <a>Download <span class="sr-only">WCAG 2.2 checklist (PDF)</span></a>.
Links that open in a new tab should warn users, either through the link text or an icon with accessible text.
Common failures
- Multiple 'Read more' links on a page with no additional context
- Links labelled only with URLs (www.example.com) with no descriptive text
- Icon links with no accessible name
- 'Click here' links that give no indication of their destination
AXS Audit
AXS Audit checks your site against 2.4.4 and flags issues your team can act on straight away. It covers criteria that automated scanners often miss.