A link is the “address” to a document (or a resource) on the web.

HTML links

This example demonstrates how to create links in an HTML document.

Open a link in a new browser window

This example demonstrates how to link to another page by opening a new window, so that the visitor does not have to leave your Web site.

(You can find more examples at the bottom of this page)

Hyperlinks, Anchors, and Links

In web terms, a hyperlink is a reference (an address) to a resource on the web.

Hyperlinks can point to any resource on the web: an HTML page, an image, a sound file, a movie, etc.

An anchor is a term used to define a hyperlink destination inside a document.

The HTML anchor element <a>, is used to define both hyperlinks and anchors.

We will use the term HTML link when the <a> element points to a resource, and the term HTML anchor when the <a> elements defines an address inside a document..

An HTML Link

Link syntax:

The start tag contains attributes about the link.

The element content (Link text) defines the part to be displayed.

Note: The element content doesn’t have to be text. You can link from an image or any other HTML element.

The href Attribute

The href attribute defines the link “address”.

This <a> element defines a link to W3Schools:

The code above will display like this in a browser:

Visit Jaffna Campus

The target Attribute

The target attribute defines where the linked document will be opened.

The code below will open the document in a new browser window:

The name Attribute

When the name attribute is used, the <a> element defines a named anchor inside a HTML document.

Named anchor are not displayed in any special way. They are invisible to the reader.

Named anchor syntax:

The link syntax to a named anchor:

The # in the href attribute defines a link to a named anchor.

Example:

A named anchor inside an HTML document:

A link to the Useful Tips Section from the same document:

A link to the Useful Tips Section from another document: