Links are descriptive; external links are identified

WCAG 2.2 SC 2.4.4 (Link Purpose in Context, Level A) and SC 2.4.9 (Link Purpose — Link Only, Level AAA) require that link text communicates destination or function without relying on surrounding context. Section 508 reinforces this at 1194.22. For screen reader users who navigate by tabbing through links, a list of "click here" or "read more" links is meaningless — they cannot determine which link to follow without reading all surrounding text. Government sites with dozens of service links that share generic labels create navigational dead ends for the blind and low-vision users those sites are legally required to serve.

Audit all <a> tags across the site. Replace any generic label ("click here", "read more", "more", "here", "link") with a descriptive phrase that communicates destination. Mark every external link visually.

// Before: generic
<a href="/benefits">Read More</a>
<a href="https://nih.gov" target="_blank">click here</a>

// After: descriptive
<a href="/benefits">Learn about veteran health benefits</a>
<a href="https://nih.gov" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">
  National Institutes of Health
  <span aria-hidden="true"> ↗</span>
  <span className="usa-sr-only">(external site)</span>
</a>

For links that must remain short (nav labels), add aria-label with the full description:

<a href="/services" aria-label="View all agency services">Services</a>

• ID: gov-web-standards.uswds-alignment.link-descriptiveness

• Severity: low

• What to look for: Enumerate all <a> tags across pages. For each link, count every generic label found ("click here", "more", "read more", "here", "link"). Check link text:

  • Avoid generic labels like "click here", "more", "read more"
  • External links should be visually marked (icon, text indicator)
  • Link title attributes or aria-labels should be descriptive

• Pass criteria: At least 90% of links use descriptive text ("Learn about benefits" vs. "click here"). All external links are visually marked with an icon or text indicator (e.g., "(external)" or an icon).

• Fail criteria: More than 10% of links use generic labels, or at least 1 external link is not marked.

• Skip (N/A) when: Never — descriptive links are essential for accessibility and usability.

• Detail on fail: "Home page has 3 'click here' links without context" or "External links to partner sites are not marked or labeled as external"

• Remediation: Replace generic link text with descriptive labels:

  // Before:
  <a href="/benefits">Read More</a>
  
  // After:
  <a href="/benefits">Learn about health benefits</a>
  
  // For external links:
  <a href="https://example.gov" target="_blank">
    Partner Agency <span aria-label="(external link)">(↗)</span>
  </a>