Links and navigation
link-in-text-block
WCAG 1.4.1 Use of Color Level A
Who this affects
This link is distinguished from surrounding text by colour alone. Anyone who cannot separate those colours cannot tell it is a link.
How to fix it
Underline the link, or add another non-colour cue, or raise the contrast between link and body text to at least 3:1.
How much work is it?
Usually a template or design change. That is a rough guide for planning, not an estimate for your codebase. A single content edit repeated across a template is a template change.
What a person still has to check
Passing this rule does not mean 1.4.1 passes. Automation checks part of the criterion, and the rest is a judgement:
Look for meaning carried by colour alone, such as required fields shown only in red.
Read 1.4.1 Use of Color in plain language
Where this check comes from
This is an axe-core rule. We run axe in a real browser on every page we scan. Deque’s reference for link-in-text-block
Find out whether your site does this
A scan checks this rule on every page it visits, and shows you the code and a screenshot of each place it fires.