Formatting Links: Best Practices
- Catherine Foss (Unlicensed)
Assorted tips and tricks for how to format hyperlinks in a webpage.
Linking to resources in a http://cda.org resource library
Linking to resources can be tricky since there are multiple ways to access a given resource. We want to provide users with the direct link to the article rather than the URL that is generated when doing a site search.
Properly formatted link:
Incorrect link:
https://www.cda.org/Search/Article-Details/ArtMID/6007/ArticleID/1849
To get this link, do not start by inputting a title or keyword into the global search bar at the top of the page. Start at any resource library. For example, if searching for a Back to Practice article, here is how to get the specific link:
Begin at a resource library page, such as the “All Resources” view for Back to Practice.
2. Search or filter to find the intended item
3. You can right click and select “copy link address” or click the link and copy from the URL bar.
Linking to Documents
When linking to a PDF or other document, avoid a direct link to a document. Instead, link to the resource itself that containts the document. This will make it more likely that we have outdated content in the future, creates more places to track and update, and is challenging for users who are on mobile devices.
In the future we will be restricting resources by user permissions, and it will be even more important to link to a webpage where we can manage permissions and roles.