Loading lesson path

HTML•HTML Foundations

HTML Links

Flash cards

Review the key moves

1/4

Core idea

What is the main idea behind HTML Links?

Lesson checks

Practice each idea before moving on

Short Mimo-style checks built from this lesson's code, terms, and sequence.

1Quick choice

Which statement best captures the main point of this lesson?

2Order

Put the learning moves in the order that makes the concept easiest to apply.

HTML Links - The target Attribute

HTML Links - Syntax

HTML Links - Hyperlinks

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

HTML Links - Hyperlinks

HTML links are hyperlinks.

You can click on a link and jump to another document.

When you move the mouse over a link, the mouse arrow will turn into a little hand.

Note

A link does not have to be text. A link can be an image or any other HTML element!

HTML Links - Syntax

The HTML <a> tag defines a hyperlink. It has the following syntax:

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

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

The link text is the part that will be visible to the reader.

Clicking on the link text, will send the reader to the specified URL address.

Example

Formatted code

<a href="https://example.com ExampleSite.com!</a>

Live preview

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

Tip

Links can of course be styled with CSS, to get another look!

HTML Links - The target Attribute

By default, the linked page will be displayed in the current browser window. To change this, you must specify another target for the link.

The target attribute specifies where to open the linked document.

The target attribute can have one of the following values:

_self - Default. Opens the document in the same window/tab as it was clicked
_blank - Opens the document in a new window or tab
_parent - Opens the document in the parent frame
_top - Opens the document in the full body of the window

Example

Formatted code

 <a href="https://example.com
target="_blank">Visit ExampleSite!</a>

Live preview

Absolute URLs vs. Relative URLs

Both examples above are using an absolute URL (a full web address) in the href attribute.

A local link (a link to a page within the same website) is specified with a relative URL (without the "https://www" part):

Example

Formatted code

  <h2>Absolute URLs</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.w3.org/">W3C</a></p>

  <p><a href="https://www.google.com/">Google</a></p>
<h2>Relative
  URLs</h2>
<p><a href="html_images.asp">HTML Images</a></p>
<p><a href="/css/default.asp">CSS
  Tutorial</a></p>

Live preview

HTML Links - Use an Image as a Link

To use an image as a link, just put the <img> tag inside the <a> tag:

Example

Formatted code

<a href="default.asp">
<img src="smiley.gif" alt="HTML tutorial" style="width:42px;height:42px;">
</a>

Live preview

Link to an Email Address

Use mailto: inside the href attribute to create a link that opens the user's email program (to let them send a new email):

Example

Formatted code

<a href="mailto:someone@example.com">Send email</a>

Live preview

Button as a Link

To use an HTML button as a link, you have to add some JavaScript code.

JavaScript allows you to specify what happens at certain events, such as a click of a button:

Example

Formatted code

<button
  onclick="document.location='default.asp'">HTML Tutorial</button>

Live preview

Tip

Learn more about JavaScript in our JavaScript Tutorial .

Link Titles

The title attribute specifies extra information about an element. The information is most often shown as a tooltip text when the mouse moves over the element.

Example

Formatted code

<a href="https://example.com title="Go to ExampleSite HTML
section">Visit our HTML Tutorial</a>

Live preview

More on Absolute URLs and Relative URLs

Example

Formatted code

<a href="https://example.com tutorial</a>

Live preview

Example

Formatted code

<a href="/html/default.asp">HTML tutorial</a>

Live preview

Example

Formatted code

<a href="default.asp">HTML tutorial</a>

Live preview

You can read more about file paths in the chapter HTML File Paths .

Chapter Summary

Use the <a> element to define a link
Use the href attribute to define the link address
Use the target attribute to define where to open the linked document
Use the <img> element (inside <a> ) to use an image as a link
Use the mailto: scheme inside the href attribute to create a link that opens the user's email program

HTML Link Tags

Tag	Description
<a>	Defines a hyperlink

For a complete list of all available HTML tags, visit our HTML Tag Reference .

HTML Styles - CSS

HTML Links - Different Colors

Loading lesson path

HTML•HTML Foundations

HTML Links

Flash cards

Review the key moves

1/4

Core idea

What is the main idea behind HTML Links?

Lesson checks

Practice each idea before moving on

Short Mimo-style checks built from this lesson's code, terms, and sequence.

1Quick choice

Which statement best captures the main point of this lesson?

2Order

Put the learning moves in the order that makes the concept easiest to apply.

HTML Links - The target Attribute

HTML Links - Syntax

HTML Links - Hyperlinks

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

HTML Links - Hyperlinks

HTML links are hyperlinks.

You can click on a link and jump to another document.

When you move the mouse over a link, the mouse arrow will turn into a little hand.

Note

A link does not have to be text. A link can be an image or any other HTML element!

HTML Links - Syntax

The HTML <a> tag defines a hyperlink. It has the following syntax:

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

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

The link text is the part that will be visible to the reader.

Clicking on the link text, will send the reader to the specified URL address.

Example

Formatted code

<a href="https://example.com ExampleSite.com!</a>

Live preview

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

Tip

Links can of course be styled with CSS, to get another look!

HTML Links - The target Attribute

By default, the linked page will be displayed in the current browser window. To change this, you must specify another target for the link.

The target attribute specifies where to open the linked document.

The target attribute can have one of the following values:

_self - Default. Opens the document in the same window/tab as it was clicked
_blank - Opens the document in a new window or tab
_parent - Opens the document in the parent frame
_top - Opens the document in the full body of the window

Example

Formatted code

 <a href="https://example.com
target="_blank">Visit ExampleSite!</a>

Live preview

Absolute URLs vs. Relative URLs

Both examples above are using an absolute URL (a full web address) in the href attribute.

A local link (a link to a page within the same website) is specified with a relative URL (without the "https://www" part):

Example

Formatted code

  <h2>Absolute URLs</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.w3.org/">W3C</a></p>

  <p><a href="https://www.google.com/">Google</a></p>
<h2>Relative
  URLs</h2>
<p><a href="html_images.asp">HTML Images</a></p>
<p><a href="/css/default.asp">CSS
  Tutorial</a></p>

Live preview

HTML Links - Use an Image as a Link

To use an image as a link, just put the <img> tag inside the <a> tag:

Example

Formatted code

<a href="default.asp">
<img src="smiley.gif" alt="HTML tutorial" style="width:42px;height:42px;">
</a>

Live preview

Link to an Email Address

Use mailto: inside the href attribute to create a link that opens the user's email program (to let them send a new email):

Example

Formatted code

<a href="mailto:someone@example.com">Send email</a>

Live preview

Button as a Link

To use an HTML button as a link, you have to add some JavaScript code.

JavaScript allows you to specify what happens at certain events, such as a click of a button:

Example

Formatted code

<button
  onclick="document.location='default.asp'">HTML Tutorial</button>

Live preview

Tip

Learn more about JavaScript in our JavaScript Tutorial .

Link Titles

The title attribute specifies extra information about an element. The information is most often shown as a tooltip text when the mouse moves over the element.

Example

Formatted code

<a href="https://example.com title="Go to ExampleSite HTML
section">Visit our HTML Tutorial</a>

Live preview

More on Absolute URLs and Relative URLs

Example

Formatted code

<a href="https://example.com tutorial</a>

Live preview

Example

Formatted code

<a href="/html/default.asp">HTML tutorial</a>

Live preview

Example

Formatted code

<a href="default.asp">HTML tutorial</a>

Live preview

You can read more about file paths in the chapter HTML File Paths .

Chapter Summary

Use the <a> element to define a link
Use the href attribute to define the link address
Use the target attribute to define where to open the linked document
Use the <img> element (inside <a> ) to use an image as a link
Use the mailto: scheme inside the href attribute to create a link that opens the user's email program

HTML Link Tags

Tag	Description
<a>	Defines a hyperlink

For a complete list of all available HTML tags, visit our HTML Tag Reference .

HTML Styles - CSS

HTML Links - Different Colors