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The problem with “click here” and “learn more” links

3 great ways to write helpful hyperlink text.

Cynthia Marinakos
UX Collective
7 min readOct 26, 2021
An animal character with question marks by it’s head.
Illustration by Cynthia Marinakos.

You’ve surely seen it.

‘Click here’ hyperlinks.

You may have used this hyperlink text in your own writing when you want to direct readers to another page or document. If not ‘Click here’, perhaps you’ve used ‘Learn more’ or another repetitive hyperlink phrase.

I’ve been guilty of using terms like these. Have you?

Today we’ll explore why ‘Click here’ isn’t great for our readers. Then we’ll learn better ways to write hyperlink text.

‘Click here’ text creates uncertainty for readers, slows them down, and assumes they’re clicking. Let’s explore these in more detail, shall we?

Problem 1: It slows your reader

If you’re ever writing for a website, an app, or an online tool, one of the simplest ways to see how well it works is to sit behind participants as they complete set tasks on a website.

In these sessions, I’ve discovered readers skim content rather than read every word. When they have a task to complete, they want to get it done as quickly as possible.

Can you relate?

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Published in UX Collective

We believe designers are thinkers as much as they are makers. Curated stories on UX, Visual & Product Design. https://linktr.ee/uxc

Written by Cynthia Marinakos

Aussie Copywriter. I love rock climbing high ceilings and hiking amongst ferns.

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