Skip Navigation

What are the benefits of a skip navigation link? 

Now more than ever, websites and mobile apps are concerned with digital accessibility, catering to those with various needs. From color contrast, video captions, to text-to-speech voice readers, these features offer an inclusive experience for your digital product. Skip navigation links are no different, especially benefiting those who use screen readers or have motor or cognitive disabilities. 

Some users may also have a preference for using their keyboard over a mouse, and this link allows one to avoid tediously using the “tab” key to navigate a website’s many buttons and links. If a website features a global navigation bar, this detail also comes in handy for skipping to the main content, so those using screen readers can bypass hearing the same, repetitive links each time they visit a new page. 

What are the best practices to creating skip navigation links? 

• Make the link noticeable and place it before other navigational tools
• Leverage headline outlines and apparent page sections 
• Opt for making the link invisible until a user seeks it out with the “tab” key, to reduce distractions