Partnerships | NC State University

Copyright | NC State University

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion | NC State University

Raleigh, N.C. | NC State University

Free Speech | NC State University

Privacy Statement | NC State University

Admissions and Aid | NC State University

Research | NC State University

Online Education | NC State University

Campus Life | NC State University

Two adjacent links should not point to the same destination. You almost always want to combine the 
two links.

For example, it is quite common to link an image and text together like this:

```html
<a href="news.html">
    <img src="photo.jpg" alt="" />
</a>
<a href="news.html">
    News
</a>
``` 

These adjacent links should be combined like so:

```html
<a href="news.html">
    <img src="photo.jpg" alt="" />
    News
</a>
``` 

Links to `#` are ignored, as these are nearly always placeholders for JavaScript, e.g.:

```html
<a href="#" onclick="approve()">
    OK
</a>
<a href="#" onclick="reject()">
    Cancel
</a>
```

# Justification

Many users of assistive technology are only able to experience content sequentially - that is, they must
step through each part of the page, one part at a time. Often this is a slow process, potentially 
hampered by a physical impediment.

Stepping through redundant links is time consuming; for example users of a screen reader must 
hear each link read aloud in turn. 

This also simplifies your code. 

# Methodology

1. Find all links (`<a>` tags) on the page.
2. Ignore links pointing to `#`, as these are usually placeholders for JavaScript.
3. Flag links which are (a) separated only by whitespace and (b) which point to the 
   same absolute URL.  

# Learn more

Read about [Technique H2](https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20-TECHS/H2) on how to combine
an adjacent image and texts links.

duplicate-adjacent-link

June 2025

May 2025

North Carolina State University

Title / URL	Issues
Partnerships \| NC State Universitywww.ncsu.edu/partnerships/	1
Copyright \| NC State Universitywww.ncsu.edu/copyright/	1
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion \| NC State Universitywww.ncsu.edu/diversity-equity-and-inclusion/	1
Raleigh, N.C. \| NC State Universitywww.ncsu.edu/raleigh/	1
Free Speech \| NC State Universitywww.ncsu.edu/free-speech/	1
Privacy Statement \| NC State Universitywww.ncsu.edu/privacy/	1
Admissions and Aid \| NC State Universitywww.ncsu.edu/admissions-and-aid/	1
Research \| NC State Universitywww.ncsu.edu/research/	1
Online Education \| NC State Universitywww.ncsu.edu/online-education/	1
Campus Life \| NC State Universitywww.ncsu.edu/campus-life/	1

Combine adjacent links with the same destination

North Carolina State University

Where this issue has occurred