Module 6: How to Create Accessible Links in Word Quick Guide

Use Text for Hyperlinks instead of URL's

Avoid using “Click Here” or the URL on its own, when adding links to your documents. Provide a textual description for links so that it provides information about the type of page or content the user will access by visiting that link. If the link is descriptive, users of assistive technology like screen readers, will hear  will the descriptive label rather than the long URL and will have an idea of  where the link will take them and the content they will access.

Create Descriptive Hyperlinks

Before you start to copy and paste the long url's into your documents, start by visiting the webpages you wish to link within your documents and take note of the title/content for each website. With this information, begin to brainstorm some potential descriptive labels that you can use in lieu of the long URL.

  1. Type descriptive labels/textual description in the areas of the document where you will place the hyperlink.
  2. Select the descriptive label/text description in document that will link to a website or document.
  3. Right click on text and select "Hyperlink" option from context menu.  

Use Hyperlink option to make link

  1. The Text to display field will show the text description selected in document, if not add a descriptive label in this field.
  2. Enter the document path or webpage URL address into the Address field.

On Insert Hyperlink window enter your descriptive label into the Text to Display field.

  1. Verify that the "Link to" area has "Existing File or Web Page" selected.
  2. Click the Ok button. Back on your document, the descriptive label/text description will now appear as a clickable/selectable link. 

Descriptive label will now appear as a clickable link

Edit Existing Hyperlinks to be Descriptive

To provide a textual description for hyperlinks:

  1. Locate and select the Long URL or other vague hyperlink in your document e.g. Click Here.
  2. Right click (CTRL click on Mac) and select "Edit Hyperlink" from the context menu.
  3. The Edit Hyperlink window will display. In the "Test to Display" field, notice that the long URL or vague label will show. Replace that with your Descriptive label/Textual Description. 
  4. Verify that the correct URL displays in the "Address" field. 
  5. Verify that the "Link to" area has "Existing File or Webpage" selected if the descriptive link is going to open a Website.

Descriptive label can be entered in the Edit Hyperlink window

  1. Click the OK button to save your changes. 
  2. Your descriptive link will now appear on the document. 

Descriptive link uses a textual description rather than a long URL

If you plan on distributing your document as a paper handout, in addition to following the instructions above to insert a descriptive link, you can insert a footnote to include the long URL for the descriptive link so that this information is available to users who get a printed format of your document.

  • Insert footnote by selecting the descriptive link in your document and from Word ribbon select the References tab.
  • Select Insert Footnote. The document footer will become available for you to type the Descriptive label and the URL. Make sure that you do not make the URL clickable/an active link.
  • The descriptive link will now have a footnote number next to it and the footer section of the page will contain the label and URL information.