Link
Definition
A clickable connection that takes you from one webpage to another. Like a doorway or bridge that connects different rooms in a digital building.
Use Cases
- Wikipedia: Connecting related topics so readers can quickly navigate between articles and references. — Wikipedia pages use internal hyperlinks between articles and external links in reference sections, using standard HTML anchor tags and URLs. (Improves discoverability of information and keeps users engaged by enabling fast, self-directed navigation across a large knowledge base.)
- Amazon: Helping shoppers move from search results to product detail pages, reviews, and checkout steps. — Product listings and navigation menus use hyperlinks and URL routing to connect pages and track user flows through the site. (Reduces friction in the shopping journey and supports higher conversion by making key actions (view details, add to cart, checkout) easy to reach.)
Frequently Asked Questions
- What's the difference between a link and a URL?
- A URL is the address of a resource (like https://example.com/page). A link (hyperlink) is the clickable element on a page that points to a URL. In other words: the URL is the destination, and the link is what you click to get there.
- When should I use a link?
- Use links whenever you want users (or systems) to navigate to another resource—such as another webpage, a file download, an API endpoint, or a specific section on the same page. In cloud-hosted apps, links are commonly used for navigation menus, documentation, password reset emails, and sharing resources.
- How much does a link cost?
- Creating a link is free because it’s just text/HTML pointing to a URL. Costs come from what the link leads to: hosting the destination (web server, storage, database), data transfer (bandwidth/egress), and any paid services behind the destination (CDN, API gateway, authentication).
Category: networking
Difficulty: basic
Related Terms
See Also