Link Color, Behavior and Text
These are recommendations, not hard-and-fast rules.
- Use link labels and concepts that are meaningful, understandable, and easily differentiated by users rather than designers.
- Provide links to other pages in the Web site with related content.
- Make the link text consistent with the title or headings on the destination (i.e., target) page.
- Ensure that items that are not clickable do not have characteristics that suggest that they are clickable.
- Ensure that important content can be accessed from more than one link.
- Use text links rather than (or in addition to) image links.
- Use color changes to indicate to users when a link has been visited.
- Provide sufficient cues to clearly indicate to users that an item is clickable.
- When using embedded links, the link text should accurately describe the link’s destination.
- ’Pointing-and-clicking,’ rather than mousing over, is preferred when selecting menu items from a cascading menu structure.
- Make text links long enough to be understood, but short enough to minimize wrapping.
- Indicate to users when a link will move them to a different location on the same page or to a new page on a different Web site.
- If any part of an image is clickable, ensure that the entire image is clickable or that the clickable sections are obvious.
- Provide links to supportive information.
