The criterion behind it
2.4.4 Link Purpose (In Context)
A link's text has to say where it goes.
Level A · EN 301 549 § 9.2.4.4
Why this check exists
Screen reader users often pull up a list of every link on the page. A list of nine "Read more" entries is useless.
What usually triggers it
- failsRepeated "Read more" or "Click here" links.
- failsA link wrapped around an image with no alt text — it announces as the URL.
- failsAn empty anchor used as a JavaScript hook.
How to fix it
- doWrite the destination into the link: "Read the EAA guide".
- doIf the visible text has to stay short, add the full text with `aria-label` — and make sure the visible words are contained in it (see 2.5.3).
How it is reported
A11ySignal reports this at serious impact. Every failing element comes with its CSS selector and the markup that failed, so you can go straight to the line rather than hunting for it. Deque publishes the engine-level detail:
https://dequeuniversity.com/rules/axe/4.13/link-name ↗
Check implemented by axe-core 4.13.0, © Deque Systems, MPL-2.0.
Other checks for 2.4.4
criticalarea-altActive <area> elements must have alternative text