HTML Hyperlinks (Links)
A hyperlink (or link) is a word, group of words, or image that you can click on to jump to a new document or a new section within the current document.When you move the cursor over a link in a Web page, the arrow will turn into a little hand.
Links are specified in HTML using the <a> tag.
The <a> tag can be used in two ways:
- To create a link to another document, by using the href attribute
- To create a bookmark inside a document, by using the name attribute
HTML Link Syntax
The HTML code for a link is simple. It looks like this:| <a href="/excitingsearch/url">Link text</a> |
Example
| <a href="http://www.excitingsearch.com/">Visit excitingsearch</a> |
Clicking on this hyperlink will send the user to W3Schools' homepage.
Tip: The "Link text" doesn't have to be text. You can link from 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:
Example
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HTML Links - The name Attribute
The name attribute specifies the name of an anchor.The name attribute is used to create a bookmark inside an HTML document.
Note:
The upcoming HTML5 standard suggest using the id attribute instead of the name attribute for specifying the name of an anchor.
Using the id attribute actually works also for HTML4 in all modern browsers.
Bookmarks are not displayed in any special way. They are invisible to the reader.
Example
A named anchor inside an HTML document:| <a name="tips">Useful Tips Section</a> |
| <a href="#tips">Visit the Useful Tips Section</a> |
| <a href="http://www.excitingsearch.com"> Visit the Useful Tips Section</a> |
Basic Notes - Useful Tips
Note: Always add a trailing slash to subfolder references. If you link like this: href="http://www.excitingsearch.com", 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.excitingsearch.com/html/".Tip: Named anchors are often used to create "table of contents" at the beginning of a large document. Each chapter within the document is given a named anchor, and links to each of these anchors are put at the top of the document.
Tip: If a browser does not find the named anchor specified, it goes to the top of the document. No error occurs.
| Tag | Description |
|---|---|
| <a> | Defines an anchor |