Hyperlink

Generally speaking, a hyperlink (also known as a link) is a reference to data that the user may follow by clicking or touching on the screen. A hyperlink directs the user to a particular piece inside a document or to the whole page. Hypertext is just text that has hyperlinks. The text from which a link is created is referred to as anchor text. A hypertext system is a system software which is used for both reading and generating hypertext; similarly, to make a hyperlink is to hyperlink a document (or simply to link). A user who navigates or browses via hypertext is referred to as a navigator or a browser.

The document that contains the hyperlink is referred to as the source document. To provide an example, numerous words and phrases in the text of an online reference work such as Wikipedia or Google are hyperlinked to definitions of such terms. Tables of contents, footnotes, bibliographies, indexes, letters, and glossaries are all examples of reference systems that are often implemented using hyperlinks.

A bidirectional hyperlink may be found in certain hypertext; this means that it can be followed in both ways, with both ends acting as anchors and targets. There are more sophisticated arrangements, such as many-to-many connections, available.