Digital Accessibility: MS Word Hyperlinks (5)

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always use natural language when including web links

A URL ( uniform resource locator) or web address is a location on the web, such as www.ndm.edu/nursing. For a screen reader user, a URL is problematic as the screen reader attempts to read out the full address one letter at a time.

On longer web addresses, a screen reader can lose or skip some of a URL as it attempts to read it. The way to fix this is to make a natural language hyperlink such as the MSN News Page.


Two Rules of Thumb:

  • Don't show the actual URL, and
  • Do not write "click here."






Instructions for Adding Hyperlinks in Word

To add a hyperlink to your Microsoft Word document, do the following:

  1. Type a meaningful title for your hyperlink.
  2. Select the title text.
  3. On the Insert tab, in the Links group, select Hyperlink to open the "Insert Hyperlink" dialog box. (Alternatively, you may right-click the selected text.)
  4. With the Link to: Existing File or Web Page option selected, insert the link's full URL into the Address box.
  5. Select OK.

Print Considerations?


  • Print Only (never sent electronically) include the URL. That will be the only way a person can find the website from the printed copy.
  • Online Only (possible to print, but not the primary distribution method), then hyperlink the URL behind a meaningful label or description, as above.
  • Both print and online formats. Including a footnote or endnote with referenced URLs. 


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