<a>

<a href="…"> creates a hyperlink. It can point to a page, a file, a fragment, or a URL scheme such as mailto:. A link navigates; a button performs an action.

Navigate to a real section

Tab to the link and press Enter. Its fragment points to the heading below, inside the isolated example.

<p><a href="#practice">Read the practice instructions</a></p>
<h2 id="practice">Practice</h2>
<p>Change one declaration and compare the result.</p>

a:focus-visible {
  outline: 3px solid #2563eb;
  outline-offset: 3px;
}

Attributes and content

Without href, a is a placeholder rather than an ordinary keyboard-activatable link. Its content follows the surrounding content model, but cannot include another a, interactive controls, or descendants with a specified tabindex. Do not wrap a button inside a linked card.

target="_blank" opens a new browsing context; tell readers when that happens. Modern browsers give blank-target links implicit noopener behavior, and explicit rel="noopener" can document intent. noreferrer additionally suppresses referrer information; it is not required for every external link.

download suggests downloading and optionally names the file; its behavior depends on origin, URL scheme, headers, and browser policy. It is not a command to download any cross-origin file.

Accessible navigation

Name the destination in visible text. For an image-only link, the image’s alt should describe the link’s purpose. Keep visible keyboard focus, and do not rely on title tooltips or href="#" placeholders. Use nav for major navigation groups. Preview links stay inside the sandbox and cannot navigate this article.

Sources and browser support

MDN: a describes the syntax and links to the specification and compatibility data. Check individual values in that table when supporting older browsers.