WCAG 2.0 · Level AAA · Operable
2.4.9 Link Purpose (Link Only)
Manual verification
How to validate 2.4.9 by hand
At Level AAA, check whether each link’s purpose is identifiable from the link text alone.
Start with the extension result
Reopen the reported URL and reproduce the same state (for example, after expanding a menu or submitting a form). Use the result’s Highlight action when available, or its affected-element details and CSS selector, to find the reported content. Apply the checks below to that content and its context. If the element or state has changed, rescan and record that difference before deciding whether the finding still applies.
- Review links without reading their surrounding sentence or nearby content.
- Check icon-only links and repeated “read more” or “learn more” links by their accessible names.
- Determine whether the text alone identifies the destination or action, except where the purpose is ambiguous to users generally.
Evidence to record
Record any link whose accessible text leaves multiple plausible destinations or actions.
Scope and exceptions
This Level AAA criterion is stricter than 2.4.4 and does not rely on surrounding context. Some destination ambiguity may be inherent to the content.
Record the review outcome
- Confirmed: the recorded evidence shows the requirement is not met in the tested page state, and no applicable exception explains it.
- Not reproduced: the reported issue is absent in the current state. Record the URL, state, and affected element you checked; this does not prove other pages or states conform.
- Needs more review: evidence is incomplete, the content requires human judgment, or an exception is uncertain. Record what remains to be checked instead of treating it as a pass.