Link purpose
Link text that tells you where it goes or what it does, even when it is pulled out of the sentence around it.
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What it is
Link purpose is the answer to 'where will this take me?' carried by the link's accessible name. 'Download the 2026 annual report (PDF)' works when pulled into a screen reader's links list; 'click here' and six copies of 'read more' do not. Clear link text also helps sighted people scan instead of rereading the sentence around every link.
WCAG 2.4.4 at level A allows the purpose to come from the link plus programmatically associated context. The stronger 2.4.9 level AAA test asks the link text alone to identify the purpose. Aim for that stronger version when a short label can do it without becoming clumsy, especially in cards, search results, document lists, and repeated actions.
Gotcha: the destination is not always enough. Two links to the same page may do different things, such as 'View invoice' and 'Download invoice PDF'. Icon-only links need an accessible name, but an aria-label that disagrees with visible words creates a voice-control problem. Put the useful wording in the visible link whenever the layout allows it.
Ask AI for it
Rewrite every link on this page to satisfy WCAG 2.4.4 Link Purpose in Context and, where concise wording permits, WCAG 2.4.9 Link Purpose (Link Only). Replace 'click here', 'learn more', and repeated 'read more' labels with visible anchor text naming the destination or action, such as 'Read the refund policy' or 'Download invoice PDF'. Give icon-only links an accessible name with visible text or aria-labelledby. Do not use aria-label to replace visible wording with different words. List all links the way NVDA's Elements List (Insert+F7) or the VoiceOver rotor would show them, before and after, and flag links that open a file, download something, or leave the site when that behavior would surprise the user.