In pagination, aria-current="page" identifies the active number. Rel=prev and rel=next are optional relationship hints, not a guarantee of search ranking behavior. The important question is always where the link leads and whether the person reading the page can predict it.
What You Need to Know
Use valid destinations and simple labels. Do not create a link that looks disabled but still points to a page that does not exist.
Aria-current marks which page is current but does not change link navigation or styling on its own.
Links are the pathways through a website. The words on a link should help someone choose where to go before clicking it.
Example: See It in Action
Take a look at this small piece of HTML. You can use it in a practice document and change the text to make it your own.
This is a short HTML fragment. To try it as a webpage, put it inside the body element of a complete HTML document.
<nav aria-label="Article pages">
<a href="list-1.html" rel="prev">Previous</a>
<a href="list-2.html" aria-current="page">Page 2</a>
<a href="list-3.html" rel="next">Next</a>
</nav>Let’s Understand the Example
- An a element becomes a working link when it has an href. Its visible text should tell readers where they will go.
- Nav identifies a major collection of navigation links.
- Rel describes a relationship to the linked page or resource, including security and search hints.
- Aria-label supplies an accessible name when a visible label is unavailable or inadequate.
- Href contains the destination of a link. A value starting with # points to an id on the same page.
- Aria-current identifies the current item in a set, such as the current page in navigation.
The first example link points to list-1.html. Check whether that destination exists relative to the document. A link changes where readers go; it does not perform an action such as saving a form.
What Should You See?
You should see a link named “Previous”. Selecting it leads to list-1.html when that destination exists. Try it with the mouse and the keyboard.
Imagine this link is read out of context. Would its text still explain the destination? Rename unclear links before trying to make them look nicer with CSS.
Try It Yourself
- Create a page 1 state with only valid neighboring destinations.
- Save your changes, open or refresh the page, and compare the result with the original example.
- Tell a friend what your change did. If you are not sure, undo it, refresh the page, and compare.
Common Beginner Mistakes
- Putting aria-current on Previous rather than the number representing the current page.
- Avoid dead links, empty href values and clickable-looking text without a real destination.
Key Takeaways
- In pagination, aria-current="page" identifies the active number.
- An a element becomes a working link when it has an href. Its visible text should tell readers where they will go.
- Aria-current marks which page is current but does not change link navigation or styling on its own.