WCAG 2.4.4 — Link Purpose (In Context)
Where a link goes should be clear from its text, or from the immediate context around it.
What this means for a store
Screen reader users often navigate by pulling up a list of every link on the page. If each product card links out with the word 'Details', that list is the same word twenty times over and the catalogue cannot be browsed. The same fix helps search engines understand what each link points at.
The failures we see most often
A product card links the image and the title separately to the same place, and the image link has no text.
Why it happens: The theme makes both clickable. A screen reader announces two links, one of which is unnamed.
Context-free link text: 'Click here', 'Read more', 'Learn more'.
Why it happens: Short button text looks better in the design, and the destination is never named.
Icon links (cart, account, wishlist) with no text.
Why it happens: The icon reads clearly to sighted users, so a label seems redundant.
Many links on one page sharing identical text but different destinations.
Why it happens: A list template prints the same fixed string for every card.
How to check it yourself
- Use a browser extension to list every link on the page. Read the texts alone — is each destination clear?
- Tab through a product listing and check that at each stop you know where you would end up.
- Look for links with the same text pointing to different places.
Fixing it, by platform
- Shopify — Link Purpose (In Context) Theme code: snippets/card-product.liquid and product grid templates; header icon links.
- WooCommerce — Link Purpose (In Context) The theme product loop template; WooCommerce templates/loop/add-to-cart.php.
- Webflow — Link Purpose (In Context) Designer, the Link Block and Link element settings; collection list templates.
- Wix — Link Purpose (In Context) Editor link settings; repeater elements.
- Squarespace — Link Purpose (In Context) Product list settings; button blocks.
What this page covers
What follows is the practical meaning of a WCAG 2.2 success criterion. Automated tests catch only a portion of accessibility issues, so a clean scan result does not mean compliance. Platform paths vary by version and theme.
Source
The formal definition of this criterion: W3C — Understanding Link Purpose (In Context)