When we originally wrote about anchor links, we were all viewing the web on similar screen sizes. Here the A-Z list allows direct access to the designer of interest. offers an alphabetical index to allow users to navigate directly to a letter in a list of designers. The links are helpful when users are likely to need a specific piece of content, rather than benefit from browsing through all the options. A list of links at the top of the page saves users the effort of scrolling through numerous items, or screens of items, that are of no use to them. Indexes and FAQs: Alphabetical or numeric indexes or lists of frequently asked questions can benefit from in-page links.Such links tend not to harm users who do not use them (except if they cover content, though even then they do not cause huge problems), and aid users who do. While these links duplicate the functionality of the scroll bar, they can be useful on long pages where a single click will save time over multiple scrolls. Back to Top: Back-to-top links lead the user to the top of the page from another part of the page.Tables of Content: In-page links can be used as a table of contents for longer pieces of content, giving users direct access to the content of interest.There are three common uses of in-page links: Increase discoverability of and engagement with content that requires a long scroll to discover.Provide direct access to content of interest.Act as a table of contents, helping users form a mental model of the page.

Links that lead to information further down the page can: In-page links are often used to help users navigate through page content. This usability concern may be balanced by the usability-related benefits of in-page links. When that expectation is not met, users can get disoriented.

Why In-Page Links Are ConfusingĪs we have discussed in the past, the largest usability-related concern about in-page links is that they do not meet users’ mental model for a link. The use of in-page links has increased in the past few years of web design, making a deeper evaluation of the pros and cons of this design element worthwhile. In the past, the user-experience recommendation has been to avoid these types of links. In-page links (also referred to as anchor links or jump links) are links that lead users to content on the same web page, rather than to another page of the site.

Anchor links with principle app