link-name: Links must have discernible text

What’s actually happening

axe flags an `<a>` that has no accessible name. A screen reader reaches it and says just "link" — or reads the raw href — with nothing about the destination. It shows up most on icon-only links (a cart glyph, a social icon), image links whose inner `<img>` has no alt, and "empty" anchors used as JS hooks. Users navigating by a list of links get a column of identical "link, link, link."

Common causes

• Icon-only links where the icon is an inline SVG or icon font with no text and no label.
• Image links whose `<img>` has no alt, so there's no text inside the anchor at all.
• Anchors holding only whitespace or a CSS-injected `::before` glyph, which doesn't count as accessible text.
• Text hidden with `display:none` or `visibility:hidden`, which removes it from the accessibility tree too.
• Duplicate "Read more" links that technically have text but no context — valid for this rule, still a usability problem screen-reader users hit.

How to fix it

1. Add visible text whenever the design allows itThe simplest fix and the best for everyone: put real text in the anchor. If layout demands an icon only, pair it with a visually hidden label using an `.sr-only` class (clip the text, don't `display:none` it — that hides it from screen readers too).
2. Label icon-only links with aria-labelFor a glyph link with no room for text: `<a href="/cart" aria-label="View cart"><svg aria-hidden="true">...</svg></a>`. Mark the SVG `aria-hidden="true"` so it isn't announced on top of the label. aria-label overrides inner content as the accessible name.
3. Give image links alt text on the inner imageIf the anchor wraps an `<img>`, the alt becomes the link's name: `<a href="/home"><img src="logo.svg" alt="Home"></a>`. Describe the destination, not the picture. This fixes link-name and image-alt in one move.
4. Make "Read more" links self-describingA page full of identical "Read more" links passes the bare rule but fails users. Append context ("Read more about pricing") or attach `aria-label="Read more about pricing"` so each link stands on its own out of context.