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Spectrum

Version 6.0.0

Link

Links allow users to navigate to a different location. They can be presented inline inside a paragraph or as standalone text.

Table of contents#

Options#

An example of using a primary link in text to call attention to the link. Text says, "If you look at any designer you admire, whose work inspires you, and whose approach somehow resonates with you, I promise you'll find a person who does not think of what they do as just a job." "find a person" is highlighted in Spectrum blue and underlined to present a link.

Primary variant#

The primary link is the default variant and and is blue. This should be used to call attention to the link and for when the blue color won’t feel too overwhelming in the experience.

An example of using a secondary link in text to call attention to the link. Text says, "If you look at any designer you admire, whose work inspires you, and whose approach somehow resonates with you, I promise you'll find a person who does not think of what they do as just a job." "find a person" is underlined in the same gray color as the text to present a secondary link.

Secondary variant#

The secondary variant is the same gray color as the paragraph text. Its subdued appearance is optimal for when the primary variant is too overwhelming, such as in blocks of text with several references linked throughout.

An example of using a link in text to call attention to a link when text is over a background variant. Text says, "If you look at any designer you admire, whose work inspires you, and whose approach somehow resonates with you, I promise you'll find a person who does not think of what they do as just a job." "find a person" is underlined in the same white color as the text to present a link over the background variant in Seafoam 500.

Over background variant#

When a link needs to be placed on top of a colored background or visual, use the over background variant. Make sure that the background and the white link color meet the minimum color contrast ratio.

An example of using quiet links in text to call attention to a link. Example text says, "start trial" for primary links, "Help center" for secondary link and "Learn more" over background variants.

Quiet#

All links can have a quiet style, which means they don’t have an underline. This style should only be used when the placement and context of the link is explicit enough that a visible underline isn’t necessary. Quiet links are less accessible, so they should not be used for links that are essential to the experience. These are commonly used in website footers, where there are several lists of links that are shortcuts to other pages.

Table of options#

From the design point of view, each component has a number of options. These options and their names are platform agnostic, and each implementation should adapt these to fit into their framework.

PropertyValuesDefault Value
variant
primary / secondary / over background
primary
is quiet
yes / no
no

Usage guidelines#

Use links in body copy#

Links should be restricted to the body copy and not used in headers. If you are looking for a larger and more prominent link, consider using other types of call to actions, such as buttons.

Key example showing correct usage of links in body copy. Text states Make it. Creative Cloud. it's everything you need to create, collaborate, and get inspired. Learn more about Creative Cloud. "Learn more about Creative Cloud." is using a secondary link.
Key example showing incorrect usage of links in body copy. Text states Make it. Creative Cloud. int he header and, "It's everything you need to create, collaborate, and get inspired. Learn more about Creative Cloud." in the body copy. "Creative Cloud" In the header is hyperlinked.

Think about screen readers#

Be mindful of what the experience is for users navigating with screen readers. Make sure to give enough context within the link about where the link will take the user.

Key example showing correct usage of screen readers. Text states "Learn more about how to draw".
Key example showing incorrect correct usage of screen readers. Text states "Click here to learn more about how to draw".

Keyboard interactions#

KEYINTERACTION
EnterExecutes the link and moves the focus to the link target.

Changelog#

DateNumberNotes
Aug 13, 20196.0.0
  • Changed “standard/quiet” to “primary” and “secondary” variants
  • Added quiet as an option
Apr 20, 20195.0.0
  • This component is now individually versioned (individual versions of existing components start at 5.0.0)

Design checklist#

All interactive states

Includes all interactive states that are applicable (hover, down, focus, keyboard focus, disabled).

Multiple options

Includes relevant options (variant, style, size, orientation, optional iconography, decorations, selection, error state, etc.)

All color themes

Works properly across all four color themes (lightest, light, dark, darkest).

All platform scales

Includes a desktop scale (UWP, macOS, web desktop) and a mobile scale (iOS, Android, web mobile).

N/A

Defined behaviors

Includes guidelines for layout (wrapping, truncation, overflow), animation, interactions, etc.

Usage guidelines

Includes a list of dos and don’ts that highlight best practices and common mistakes.

Accessible contrast

Follows WCAG 2.0 standards for contrast (AA).

N/A

Internationalization guidelines

Works properly across various locales and includes guidelines for bi-directionality (RTL).

Keyboard interactions

Follows WCAG 2.0 standards for keyboard accessibility guidelines and includes a description of the keyboard interactions.

Design tokens

All design attributes (color, typography, layout, animation, etc.) are included in Spectrum DNA.

Generated UI kit

Includes a downloadable XD file that has been generated by code and shows multiple variations, states, color themes, and scales.

In Spectrum for Adobe XD plugin

Component is included in the Spectrum for Adobe XD plugin.