HTML Links

« Previous Chapter Next Chapter »

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


Example

HTML Tutorial A Link within this website.

Google Link to a website.

Code it Online »

How to create links in an HTML document.

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:

  1. To create a link to another document, by using the href attribute
  2. 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="url">Link text</a>

The href attribute specifies the destination of a link.

Example

<a href="http://www.qctutorials.com/">Visit QcTutorials</a>

which will display like this: Visit QcTutorials

Clicking on this hyperlink will send the user to QcTutorials homepage.

Hint: 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:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en-US">
<head>
<title>An Example for testing - QcTutorials </title>
</head>
<body>
<a href="http://www.qctutorials.com/" target="_blank">Visit QcTutorials</a>
</body>
</html>
Code it Online »


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>

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.qctutorials.com/learning/html_links.html#tips">
Visit the Useful Tips Section</a>

Basic Notes - Tips

Note: Always add a trailing slash to subfolder references. If you link like this: href="http://www.qctutorials.com/learning/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.qctutorials.com/learning/html/".

Hint: 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.

Hint: If a browser does not find the named anchor specified, it goes to the top of the document. No error occurs.


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.

HTML Link Tags

Tag Description
<a> Defines an anchor


« Previous Chapter Next Chapter »

Have Any Suggestion? We Are Waiting To Hear from YOU!

Your Query was successfully sent!