4 min read

Writing Descriptive Link Text in PDFs

Screen reader users frequently pull up a list of all the links in a document and navigate from there, out of context. When every other entry says "click here" or "read more", that list is useless. Link text has to make sense on its own.

What fails

  • "Click here", "read more", "learn more" — they describe nothing out of context.
  • A bare URL, which a screen reader reads out character by character.
  • The same link text ("here") used for several different destinations.

What works

Write link text that describes where the link goes: "Download the 2025 annual report" instead of "click here". If the surrounding sentence already provides context, make the meaningful phrase itself the link.

How to fix links in a PDF

  1. 1In the source document, edit each hyperlink display text to describe its destination, then re-export.
  2. 2In a PDF, ensure each link is tagged as a Link with readable text, not just a clickable region.
  3. 3Check that links are reachable by keyboard and announced as links.

The same rule helps everyone: scannable, descriptive link text is easier for every reader, not just screen reader users.

Check your PDF here to find links with non-descriptive text.

Check your PDF for free

See exactly which PDF/UA and WCAG 2.1 AA issues your document has — instant, no signup.

Check My PDF

Frequently asked questions

Why is "click here" bad link text?
Screen reader users frequently pull up a list of every link and navigate from it, with no surrounding sentence. "Click here" or "read more" describes nothing out of context, so the link list becomes useless. Describe the destination instead.
Should I use the full URL as link text?
No. A screen reader reads a bare URL out character by character, which is slow and unintelligible. Use descriptive text that names the destination, and keep the underlying URL as the link target.

Related how-to fixes