In plain English
Screen-reader users often skim a page by pulling up a list of just the links. In that list there is no surrounding paragraph, just the link text. So a page full of “click here”, “read more”, and “shop now” becomes a list of identical, meaningless entries.
The rule: make the link text (or the text right next to it) say where the link goes. “View your cart” or “Read the size guide” instead of “click here”.
Who this is for
- Screen-reader users, who navigate by lists of links out of context.
- Everyone scanning quickly, since descriptive links are easier to skim.
What “good” looks like
Say the destination in the link itself.
<!-- Good -->
<a href="/size-guide">Read the size guide</a>
<a href="/cart">View your cart</a>
<!-- Icon-only link still needs a name -->
<a href="/cart" aria-label="View your cart"><svg>…</svg></a>
<!-- Bad: identical and meaningless out of context -->
<a href="/size-guide">Click here</a>Where stores get it wrong
Repeated “read more” links under blog cards, “click here” in help text, “shop now” buttons that all say the same thing, and icon-only cart, search, and wishlist links with no accessible name. These are common entries on the failures list and easy to catch in a self-check.