Best practices for linking

SF.gov external linking guidance

Do ✅	Do not ❌
Provide context Add a description for the link to explain what the page is about. This will help your user decide if the information will be relevant or helpful.	Do not use “click here” People skim pages for links, so highlight the text to tell them where they are going and what they will get. “Click here” is also not accessible for people using screen readers. Examples: 👍 Speak with a Rent Board counselor if you have questions about evictions. 👎 Click here to speak with a Rent Board counselor if you have questions about evictions.
Limit the number of links A link has cognitive weight. Be mindful of how many links you put on your page or in a sentence.	Do not use too many links Having too many links in a single sentence affects readability.
Be clear about logins or authentication Use text or a lock icon to indicate if a page requires login. Examples: We’ve documented our latest updates in the product release notes 🔒 We’ve documented our latest updates in the product release notes (requires login)	Do not link to a page that requires further action Help your users go to the right place in the shortest amount of time. Avoid linking to a page that requires a user to click more to find what they need.

When to link

Link to an external website when:

• There isn’t an internal page on SF.gov with the same information

• The external website is a trustworthy source that can support users better than SF.gov can

• A user can only complete a specific task using that website

• The external website provides a single source of truth