HTML 49 min

HTML Links

Connect pages and resources with accessible links.

Links turn separate resources into the web. The a element needs a useful destination and link text that explains where it goes. Links navigate; buttons perform actions. Keeping that distinction makes keyboard behavior, context menus, history, and assistive technology predictable.

Choose the right kind of URL

Absolute URLs include a scheme and domain. Root-relative paths start at the site root. Document-relative paths resolve from the current file. Fragment links target a unique id on the same page, while mailto and tel links request an external application.

<nav aria-label="Course links">
  <a href="/courses/html">HTML course</a>
  <a href="./forms.html">Forms lesson</a>
  <a href="#practice">Jump to practice</a>
  <a href="https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTML">HTML reference on MDN</a>
</nav>

Write link text that makes sense by itself.
Use a stable path type intentionally.
Target fragments with unique IDs.
Keep navigation in links and actions in buttons.
Tell people when a link downloads a file or opens another application.

Diagram connecting text, links, images, lists, media, and structured data inside a web document — HTML content types work together: each element should express the role its content plays.

Handle new tabs and downloads responsibly

Most links should open in the current tab so users keep control. When a new tab is genuinely useful, use target=_blank and include rel=noopener. The download attribute suggests a download for same-origin resources, but servers and browsers still control delivery.

<nav aria-label="Workshop guide"> <a href="#equipment">Equipment checklist</a> <a href="#schedule">Workshop schedule</a> </nav> <main> <h1>Prepare for the workshop</h1> <section id="equipment"><h2>Equipment checklist</h2><p>Bring a notebook.</p></section> <section id="schedule"><h2>Workshop schedule</h2><p>Arrive at 10:00.</p></section> </main>

HTML Getting Started

HTML Core

Links, Media & Data

Page Structure

Quality & Reference

HTML Links

Choose the right kind of URL

Handle new tabs and downloads responsibly

Mistakes to avoid

Guided practice

Lesson recap

Understand it. Build it. Explain it.

What you should be able to do

A URL is resolved from a context

Link wording and behavior are part of the interface

A navigable one-page guide

Code

Result

Why this example works

A button nested inside a link

Audit every destination

Your build plan

Review your result

Can you explain the decision?

Build useful navigation

Code

Result

Describe special behavior

Code

Result

Test what you learned

Test what you learned

Test what you learned

Check your understanding