Why should I unsee links? (Learn how it improves your web browsing experience)
The term "unsee links" in web development typically refers to the practice of styling hyperlinks (anchor tags, <a>) to remove their default visual distinctions, making them appear like regular, non-interactive text. Standard browser behavior renders links with an underline and a distinct color (often blue) to indicate clickability.
How to "Unsee" Links
This visual alteration is achieved primarily using Cascading Style Sheets (CSS). Key CSS properties are employed to override default browser styles:
text-decoration: none; This property is used to remove the underline from links.
color: inherit; This makes the link inherit its color from its parent element, effectively matching the surrounding text color. Alternatively, a specific color can be set.
cursor: default; or cursor: text; This changes the mouse cursor from the typical pointer (hand icon) to the standard text selection cursor or default arrow, further reducing the visual cue of interactivity.
These styles can be applied to all states of a link (:link, :visited, :hover, :active, :focus) to ensure consistent de-styling.
Example CSS to make links indistinguishable from text:
a,
a:link,
a:visited,
a:hover,
a:active,
a:focus {
color: inherit;
text-decoration: none;
cursor: text;
Consequences and Considerations
While technically simple to implement, "unseeing" links has significant implications:
Usability: Users rely on established visual cues to identify interactive elements. Removing these cues can make websites difficult to navigate, as users may not realize that certain text elements are clickable. This can lead to frustration and an inability to access desired content or functionality.
Accessibility: This is a major concern. Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) emphasize that links must be easily distinguishable. Users with low vision, color blindness, or cognitive disabilities depend on clear indicators like underlines and contrasting colors. Relying solely on a subtle color change without an underline is often insufficient and fails accessibility standards, particularly if the color contrast between the link and surrounding text, or the link and the background, is not adequate. WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 1.4.1 (Use of Color) states that color should not be used as the only visual means of conveying information, indicating an action, prompting a response, or distinguishing a visual element. If links are not underlined, they generally need a 3:1 contrast ratio against the surrounding text and must have a non-color designator on hover and focus (like an underline appearing).
Discoverability: Links that blend seamlessly with text are less discoverable. Users often scan pages for links to quickly find navigation paths or relevant information.
When Is It (Rarely) Appropriate?
Completely making links invisible as interactive elements is generally discouraged. However, there might be nuanced scenarios where link styling is significantly subdued:
Headings or Navigational Elements: Sometimes, elements like site titles or main navigation items that are clearly interactive by their position and context might omit underlines by default, but they should still offer strong visual feedback on hover and focus (e.g., an underline appearing, color change, background change).
Stylistically Minimalist Designs: Even in such designs, ensuring links become clearly identifiable upon user interaction (hover/focus) is crucial. A common approach is to remove the underline by default but reintroduce it on hover and focus.
Recommendation: Prioritize clarity and established web conventions. If you choose to deviate from default link styling, ensure that alternative visual cues for interactivity are robust, intuitive, and meet accessibility standards. The potential for a cleaner aesthetic should not override fundamental usability and accessibility principles. For most body text links, maintaining an underline is the clearest and most accessible approach.
