HTML Hyperlinks (Links)

The HTML <a> tag defines a hyperlink.

A hyperlink (or link) is a word, group of words, or image that you can click on to jump to another document.

When you move the cursor over a link in a Web page, the arrow will turn into a little hand.

The most important attribute of the <a> element is the href attribute, which indicates the link's destination.

By default, links will appear as follows in all browsers:

• An unvisited link is underlined and blue
• A visited link is underlined and purple
• An active link is underlined and red

HTML Link Syntax

The HTML code for a link is simple. It looks like this:

The href attribute specifies the destination of a link.

Example

which will display like this: Visit W3Schools

Clicking on this hyperlink will send the user to W3Schools' homepage.

Tip: The "Link text" doesn't have to be text. It can be an image or any other HTML element.

HTML Links - The target Attribute

The target attribute specifies where to open the linked document.

The example below will open the linked document in a new browser window or a new tab:

HTML Links - The id Attribute

The id attribute can be used to create a bookmark inside an HTML document.

Tip: Bookmarks are not displayed in any special way. They are invisible to the reader.

Example

An anchor with an id inside an HTML document:

Create a link to the "Useful Tips Section" inside the same document:

Or, create a link to the "Useful Tips Section" from another page:

Basic Notes - Useful Tips

Note: Always add a trailing slash to subfolder references. If you link like this: href="http://www.w3schools.com/html", you will generate two requests to the server, the server will first add a slash to the address, and then create a new request like this: href="http://www.w3schools.com/html/".

HTML Link Tags