Fixing Link Text in Drupal
Error: Link with no accessible text
This error can happen when copying and pasting from a different application, such as Microsoft Word or Google Docs. It can also happen when editing directly in CKEditor. It essentially means that a link exists, but there is no text for a screen reader to interpret and read aloud. There are a couple of ways to fix this issue.
Editing with CKEditor
There are a couple of ways to edit the link in CKEditor.
- Clean up before pasting
If the content was copied from another document or application, first remove or correct any unnecessary link text there. Then, copy and paste the cleaned content into CKEditor. - Locate and remove empty links
Look for links that have no visible text (often positioned next to an existing link). Delete these empty links directly within CKEditor. - Reinsert links if necessary
If the problematic links cannot be fixed, remove them entirely and reinsert the correct links with appropriate text.
Editing the code directly
- Open the page with the error
Navigate to the content that contains the empty or inaccessible link. - Switch to Source view
In CKEditor, click the "Source" button on the toolbar. This displays the underlying HTML code. - Find and correct the empty link
Look for anchor (<a>) tags with no link text. You can: - Remove the empty link completely, or
- Add descriptive text between the opening and closing tags.
Example:
- Incorrect link code:
<a href="https://www.cse.umn.edu"> </a> - Corrected link code:
<a href="https://www.cse.umn.edu">College of Science and Engineering</a>
Manual Check: is this link meaningful and concise?
This alert appears when your page contains links with generic phrases such as:
- Read More
- Learn More
- Click Here
These phrases are not meaningful on their own and may cause accessibility issues.
How to Fix
Instead of using vague link text, provide context that describes the destination or purpose of the link.
Examples:
- Instead of "Read More," use "Read More About Our Services."
- Instead of "Click Here," use "Download the Annual Report."
- Instead of "Learn More," use "Learn More About Accessibility Best Practices."
Using descriptive, concise link text improves accessibility, makes your content easier to navigate, and helps all users—especially those using screen readers—understand where a link will take them.