Learn HTML HTML Links LESSON 9

Links are found in nearly all Web pages. Links allow users to click their way from page to page.

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Try it Yourself - Examples

HTML links
How to create links in an HTML document.

(You can find more examples at the bottom of this page)

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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

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HTML Link Syntax

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

<a href="url">Link text</a>

The href attribute specifies the destination of a link.

Example

<a href="http://www.w3schools.com/">Visit W3Schools</a>

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.

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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

<a href="http://www.w3schools.com/" target="_blank">Visit W3Schools!</a>

Try it yourself »

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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:

<a id="tips">Useful Tips Section</a>

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

<a href="#tips">Visit the Useful Tips Section</a>

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

<a href="http://www.w3schools.com/html_links.htm#tips">
Visit the Useful Tips Section</a>

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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/".

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More Examples

An image as a link
How to use an image as a link.

Link to a location on the same page
How to link to a bookmark.

Break out of a frame
How to break out of a frame (if your site is locked in a frame).

Create a mailto link
How to link to a mail message (will only work if you have mail installed).

Create a mailto link 2
Another mailto link.

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HTML Link Tags

Tag	Description
<a>	Defines a hyperlink