WCAG fix guide
How to Fix Empty Links and Unclear Link Text (WCAG 2.2)
Applies to: SC 2.4.4 Link Purpose (In Context), Level A · SC 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value, Level A · SC 2.5.3 Label in Name
Empty links appeared on 46.3% of home pages in the WebAIM Million 2026 (detected with WebAIM's WAVE tool). WebAIM also found that 45% of images missing alt text were linked images, which leaves those links with no name (WebAIM).
Common causes and fixes
| Cause | Fix |
|---|---|
| Icon-only link (social icons, cart, hamburger) | Add visually hidden text or aria-label="Instagram"; hide the SVG with aria-hidden="true" |
| Linked image without alt | Give the image alt text that describes the destination (see the alt text guide) |
Empty <a> used as an anchor/JS hook | Remove it, or use a <button> for actions |
| "Read more" / "Click here" repeated | Make the text descriptive, or add hidden context: Read more<span class="visually-hidden"> about pricing</span> |
<a href="https://instagram.com/acme">
<svg aria-hidden="true" focusable="false">…</svg>
<span class="visually-hidden">Acme on Instagram</span>
</a>If the link has visible text, the accessible name must include it (SC 2.5.3).
CMS-specific steps
- WordPress: The Social Icons block has a label field per link; fill it in. Check theme header icons (search/cart) in the template.
- Shopify: Header cart/account/search icons and footer social icons are theme code. Most current themes include hidden text; older or custom themes may not. Edit
snippetsor contact the theme developer. - Webflow: For icon links, add a visually-hidden text span inside the link, or add an
aria-labelcustom attribute (Element settings › Custom attributes). - Squarespace / Wix: Check social link blocks and image links. Set alt text on linked images (see the alt text guide for platform steps).
WordPress, Shopify, Webflow, Squarespace and Wix are trademarks of their respective owners. Glimscope is not affiliated with or endorsed by any of them.
What automated tools can and can't tell you: Automated checkers (including axe-core, which our monitor uses) can flag many instances of this issue, but they cannot judge everything. A human still has to check meaning and context. For scale: Deque reports that in its own sample of first-time audits, its automated tests found 57.38% of issues by volume (Deque report). That is Deque's figure for its sample, not a detection rate for any one tool, and it means a large share of issues still needs manual testing. Scanners catch links with no name. They can't tell whether "Learn more" makes sense in context. Automated tests find only some accessibility issues; manual testing is still required. Not legal advice.
Manual checklist
- Tab through the page with a screen reader: every link announces its purpose
- Screen reader links list makes sense out of context
Sources
Check your own site
Run a free automated scan of one page to check it for some issues like this one.
Automated tests find only some accessibility issues; manual testing is still required. Not legal advice.