PDF links: clear text and working destinations

Accessible transport application form is clearer than Click here. The text should work in context and should not disguise an unexpected destination. Avoid long technical addresses when a short description communicates more.

Visually underlined text does not prove a real link exists. The PDF needs a link annotation correctly associated with its structure. That function must survive export.

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The visible words, interactive area and destination are distinct parts that need to agree. Link text explains where readers can go. The annotation makes the area interactive. Its structural connection allows assistive technology to present the link usefully.

Export may lose one of those parts. Text can remain blue without a destination, or a link annotation can exist without connecting to the right text in the tag tree. Inspect structure and test the actual interaction.

Internal links deserve the same attention as external links. A contents entry should lead to the correct section, not merely a nearby page. Adding pages can invalidate destinations while leaving their visible text unchanged. Recheck links after reorganising a report.

Start in the document content and use Tab to move between interactive objects. Check visible focus and a meaningful sequence. Activate a link, inspect its destination and establish how to return. PDF readers handle tabs and windows differently, so record the environment when this matters.

Pay particular attention to links wrapping over lines. They may have several interactive regions while still representing one coherent function. Check whether a link accidentally includes neighbouring text or occupies a different line from its visible marking.

File links should describe the content and, where useful, set expectations about format. “Travel grant rules, PDF” communicates more than “Read more”. Internal section links do not all need repeated technical file details. Include what helps readers choose.

• Use Tab and Shift+Tab to reach links.
• Check that focus is visible and follows a meaningful sequence.
• Activate each link and inspect the destination.
• Test internal section or note links separately from external links.

Read the link in context and, where supported, in a list of links. If a linked image lacks a useful name, its text alternative needs to describe the function. Pasting the entire URL into an image description rarely solves that problem.