HTML Navigation Links in Repeated Cards

A repeated card can be a small article preview. Link the heading to the full article, then keep the rest of the preview easy to read. The important question is always where the link leads and whether the person reading the page can predict it.

What You Need to Know

If you make an entire card one big link, avoid nested links or buttons. Multiple identical Read more labels are harder to understand than linked article titles.

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

Try this markup in a fresh practice file. The next section explains the parts worth paying attention to.

This is a short HTML fragment. To try it as a webpage, put it inside the body element of a complete HTML document.

<ul class="article-list">
    <li>
        <article>
            <h2><a href="story-1.html">First Story</a>
            </h2>
            <p>A short preview.</p>
        </article>
    </li>
    <li>
        <article>
            <h2><a href="story-2.html">Second Story</a>
            </h2>
            <p>Another preview.</p>
        </article>
    </li>
</ul>

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.
• Li is one item inside a list. Keep each item inside its parent list.
• Ul groups items where the order does not matter.
• Class is a reusable label for styling or scripts; several elements may share the same class.
• Href contains the destination of a link. A value starting with # points to an id on the same page.

The first example link points to story-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 “First Story”. Selecting it leads to story-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

1. Give each card a unique article title and correct destination.
2. Save your changes, open or refresh the page, and compare the result with the original example.
3. Tell a friend what your change did. If you are not sure, undo it, refresh the page, and compare.

Common Beginner Mistakes

• Nesting a second clickable link inside the first card link.
• Avoid dead links, empty href values and clickable-looking text without a real destination.

Key Takeaways

• A repeated card can be a small article preview.
• An a element becomes a working link when it has an href. Its visible text should tell readers where they will go.
• If you make an entire card one big link, avoid nested links or buttons. Multiple identical Read more labels are harder to understand than linked article titles.