Skip Link Design

Skip link design creates navigation aids that allow keyboard users to bypass repetitive content blocks and jump directly to main page content. Well-designed skip links significantly improve navigation efficiency for keyboard and screen reader users.

What Is Skip Link Design

Skip links are internal page links that appear at the beginning of a page and allow users to jump past repeated content like navigation menus, headers, and sidebars. Without skip links, keyboard users must Tab through every navigation link on every page to reach the main content.

WCAG Success Criterion 2.4.1 (Bypass Blocks) requires a mechanism to bypass content blocks repeated across pages. Skip links provide the most common solution, though other techniques like proper heading structure and landmark regions also contribute.

Skip links typically remain visually hidden until focused, appearing when keyboard users begin navigation. This approach provides accessibility benefits without affecting the visual design for mouse users.

How Skip Link Design Works

A skip link consists of an anchor element that links to the main content region via an ID reference. Positioned first in the document, it receives focus immediately when users start tabbing:

CSS hides the link until focused. Common approaches use positioning to move the link off-screen, then reposition it visibly when the :focus state activates. The link should appear in a prominent position, often at the top left of the viewport.

The skip link target should be the main content container. This element may need tabindex=“-1” to receive focus properly in some browsers, particularly when the target element is not natively focusable.

Multiple skip links can provide additional navigation options. A page with both navigation and a sidebar might offer “Skip to main content” and “Skip to sidebar” options. However, too many skip links can themselves become repetitive content that users want to skip.

Design systems provide skip link components with appropriate styling and behavior. The component handles visibility toggling, focus management, and consistent visual treatment across applications.

Key Considerations

• Position skip links first in document order to receive immediate focus
• Hide visually until focused, then display prominently
• Link to the main content region using an ID reference
• Ensure the skip link target can receive focus (add tabindex=“-1” if needed)
• Make skip links visible with sufficient contrast and size when focused
• Consider multiple skip links for complex page layouts
• Test skip link behavior across browsers and assistive technologies

Common Questions

Should skip links be visible at all times?

Most implementations hide skip links until focused, revealing them only to keyboard users who would benefit from them. This approach keeps the visual design clean for mouse users while providing necessary functionality for keyboard users.

However, some accessibility advocates argue skip links should always be visible, as some users may not know to look for them. A visible skip link area that becomes more prominent on focus represents a middle-ground approach. Design systems should document their chosen approach and rationale.

Where should skip links navigate to?

Skip links should navigate to the beginning of the main content area, bypassing headers, navigation, and other repeated elements. The target should be marked with an appropriate landmark role (main) and ID.

Some pages benefit from additional skip targets. A page with in-page navigation might offer a skip link to that navigation. A page with multiple content sections might offer section-specific skip links. The goal is helping users reach their likely destinations efficiently.

How do skip links interact with sticky headers?

Pages with sticky or fixed-position headers present challenges for skip links. If the main content begins immediately below a fixed header, the skip link target may scroll under the header and become obscured.

Solutions include adding scroll-margin-top to the target element equal to the header height, or positioning the target below where the fixed header would overlay. Design systems should account for their header patterns when implementing skip link targets.

Summary

Skip link design provides keyboard users with efficient navigation past repetitive content blocks. Through properly positioned links, accessible hiding and revealing, and appropriate target elements, design systems enable bypass mechanisms that significantly improve keyboard navigation experiences.