WCAG 2.2 Fix Guide

How to Fix Links With No Accessible Name WCAG

Every link must have an accessible name — text that describes where the link goes. Links with no text content, or links that only contain an image without alt text, have no accessible name. Screen readers announce them as 'link' with nothing else.

WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 2.4.4 (Level AA) axe-core: link-name

Why this matters

Screen reader users often navigate by listing all links on a page. If your links say 'click here', 'read more', or nothing at all, users have no idea where they go. Descriptive link text also helps Google understand your page structure.

Code examples

✗ Incorrect — fails WCAG
<a href="/contact"><i class="fas fa-envelope"></i></a>
<a href="/report">Click here</a>
<a href="/blog">Read more</a>
✓ Correct — passes WCAG
<a href="/contact" aria-label="Contact us by email">
  <i class="fas fa-envelope" aria-hidden="true"></i>
</a>
<a href="/report">Download accessibility report</a>
<a href="/blog" aria-label="Read more about WCAG 2.2 updates">Read more</a>

How to fix it — step by step

  1. 1
    Make sure every link has visible text that describes its destination
  2. 2
    For icon-only links, add aria-label='description' to the <a> element
  3. 3
    Add aria-hidden='true' to decorative icons inside links so screen readers skip them
  4. 4
    Replace vague text like 'click here' or 'read more' with descriptive text
  5. 5
    For image links, add alt text to the image that describes the link destination
  6. 6
    Never leave a link completely empty — it traps keyboard users
Reference: WCAG 2.2 Success Criterion 2.4.4 (Level AA)

Test it for free

Use WebPossum to automatically detect this violation and every other WCAG 2.2 issue on your site. Free, instant, no signup required.