How to make Word documents accessible

Links and link text

Check any link text in your Word document clearly describes where the link goes and is meaningful to your reader.

Let people know what links do

Links in documents are usually a different colour and underlined. They work best when written as descriptive and meaningful text.

This helps all people, especially screen reader users. Screen readers can quickly read out and skip through a list of links instead of reading a whole document.

Let people know what will happen when selecting a link. Make it clear if a link goes to:

content from an outside source, like (GOV.UK)
a system that's different to a standard web page, like [Microsoft Forms]
a different content format, like a [PDF] or other document file
non-text content, like a [YouTube] video or [SoundCloud] audio podcast
content with barriers to access, like [requires a login]
an email address which can open an application the user does not want to use

You may have to restructure or reword content which contains links to better meet these recommendations.

Learn more about how to write good link text

Using web addresses (URLs) in documents

For online reading

Avoid showing full web addresses (URLs) in documents if they’re meant mainly for online reading. Web addresses can be long, include characters or symbols and be hard to read, especially for screen reader users.

Use descriptive, meaningful and selectable link text instead.

For online reading and print

If your document is for both online reading and print, you can show URLs in two ways:

in the main text
in a link appendix

You must decide what works best for your document based on how it will be used.

Adding web addresses (URLs) in the main text

Add text that explains what the link is.
Add the selectable link text before the URL
Put link text and URL on a separate line (not inside a paragraph) to keep it easy to read.
Present the URL as plain text (do not make it selectable as it confuses screen readers).
Keep the URL short and meaningful, for example, 'nottinghamshire.gov.uk/floodinggrants'.
Remove unnecessary parts like 'http://' (and 'www' in most cases).

For example,

'To report a problem with your road, go to the:

Highways Hub
(nottinghamshire.gov.uk/highways)

If the web address you are using is long, use a URL shortening service.

If you work for the council, we have our own URL shortening service for our websites. Contact us about requesting a short URL.

Adding URLs in a links appendix

Adding URLs near selectable link text can sometimes make a document hard to read.

If it makes better sense for your document, you can instead add a section at the end of the document with all the URLs (a 'links appendix'). This way, readers can still access the links if they have a printed copy.

For example, view the links appendix on Early years support for children under 5: easy read.

For print only

If the document is meant only for print, like a brochure, flyer or poster, you can include the web address in the main body text.

Make sure the URL

is short, meaningful and easy to copy
does not include 'http://'
includes a description explaining what it is

For example, 'Read more about Universal Credit at www.gov.uk/universal-credit'.

Printed materials containing QR code images

Always put web addresses (URLs) alongside QR code images for those unable to use camera phones.

Read more about using QR in council materials

Link to web pages, not other documents

Do not add links directly to another online document, like a PDF. They are more likely to break if updated.

Link to the web page the document is on instead. For example, like a page that hosts a document in our Easy Read Library.

Pasting links from Microsoft Edge browser

Sometimes when you copy and paste a URL from Microsoft Edge browser it will display as a descriptive link by default. Make sure you alter this text so it's consistent with our link style recommendations.

For example, consider the following link pasted from Edge: 'How to write hyperlink text for better web accessibility (scope.org.uk)'

Depending how the document will be used, you could edit the text as follows:

For online reading only: 'How to write hyperlink text for better web accessibility (Scope for Business)'
For both online reading and print: 'How to write hyperlink text for better web accessibility - Scope for Business (scope.org.uk)'

Learn more about URL copy and paste behaviour in Microsoft Edge (Microsoft Support)

ScreenTips or 'hover over' link text

ScreenTips in Word can provide added link information to users in the form of a visual pop-up with text that is also read out to screen readers.

They are visible mainly on desktop when a mouse hovers over a link or you tab through links with a keyboard.

Avoid adding additional link information to ScreenTips. Link text in content that's been optimised for accessibility, with enough context in the link text, shouldn't need it.

Why using ScreenTips in Word could hurt accessibility

Desktop users may not find it helpful or know it's there -- the pop-up text may also get in the way of visible content on a page.
Screen reader users may miss ScreenTips entirely depending on how links are read out.
Mobile users typically cannot view them -- if you hide important text in ScreenTips, you exclude these users entirely.

ScreenTips also do not display when a Word document is exported or saved as a PDF.

How to add and format links

Select your text to link to in your content
Right-click, then find and select 'Link' (or go to the 'Insert' tab, 'Links' section and 'Link').
In 'Insert Hyperlink' window, add the URL in the 'Address' field.
Select 'OK'.

How to check links

Check that any links in your document clearly explain where they will take the user.

Word's Accessibility Checker will only check links for things like colour contrast, using "click here" or a full URL It will not check if links make sense.

Make sure there is enough context 'within' your link text to make sense on its own.