Try it: highlight the links
Web accessibility is governed by standards like WCAG and laws like the ADA and the European Accessibility Act. You can test any page with a free checker, monitor a whole site with a crawler, and document conformance in a VPAT.
Notice how much faster you can spot every link once highlighting is on - that is the difference for a user with low vision on every page, every day.
The demo styles links with a strong underline and high-contrast color, exactly like the widget's Highlight Links function.
What does Highlight Links do?
The Highlight Links function marks every hyperlink on a page with a clearly perceivable underline and a bright, high-contrast color. Users who cannot distinguish a link that differs from body text only by a subtle hue - people with low vision, color vision deficiency, or cognitive disabilities - get an unmistakable visual signal of what is clickable, while your design stays intact for everyone else.
This addresses one of the most common real-world failures of WCAG 1.4.1 Use of Color: links inside paragraphs distinguished by color alone.
Who it helps
- People with color vision deficiency - about 1 in 12 men and 1 in 200 women cannot rely on color differences to find links.
- People with low vision - faint underlines and low-contrast link colors disappear entirely.
- People with cognitive disabilities - a consistent, explicit link style removes guesswork from navigation.
Add link highlighting to your website
Install the EqualWeb accessibility widget and your visitors can switch on Highlight Links whenever they need it - together with the text magnifier, contrast modes, reading guides and assistive profiles. One line of code, any platform.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Highlight Links accessibility function?
A one-click adjustment that underlines and recolors every hyperlink with high contrast, so users who cannot perceive subtle color differences can find every link instantly.
Why is color-only link styling an accessibility problem?
WCAG 1.4.1 requires that color is never the only visual means of conveying information. A link distinguished from body text only by hue is invisible to many colorblind and low-vision users.
How do I add this to my site?
Install the EqualWeb widget with one line of code. Highlight Links ships as a built-in function visitors can toggle, on every page.
- W3C, Understanding 1.4.1: Use of Color - w3.org/WAI
Last updated . Reviewed by the EqualWeb accessibility team.
Make your whole site easier to navigate
The EqualWeb widget adds Highlight Links and 30+ more accessibility functions with one line of code. Free trial, no credit card.