Link Purpose Checker

WHAT IT DOES

Link Purpose Checker is a browser extension that scans any webpage for links and checks their purpose based on link text, aria-label, title attribute, and surrounding context. It highlights links that have ambiguous or missing purpose—common examples include "click here," "read more," "learn more," "details," and "view." The tool provides visual indicators (red outline and warning label) on ambiguous links and offers hover suggestions for improvement. A summary shows the number of ambiguous links versus total links. The tool is ideal for web developers, accessibility testers, content creators, and anyone who wants to ensure links have clear, descriptive text that informs users of their purpose.

WHERE IT RUNS

Link Purpose Checker runs on any webpage, overlaying a floating panel that does not interfere with page content. It operates entirely in your browser as a lightweight userscript, scanning the DOM for link elements. It works on any page, whether static or dynamic, with no external dependencies. All settings are stored locally using GM_setValue—no data is ever sent to any server.

HOW TO USE

After installation, open the floating panel by clicking the extension icon. The panel shows the current status (Enabled or Disabled) and a toggle button to enable or disable the checker. Click the "Scan Links" button to scan the page for links and highlight ambiguous ones. The panel displays a summary of how many links have ambiguous purpose versus total links. Hover over any highlighted link to see a suggestion for improvement (e.g., "Use descriptive text like 'Learn more about our services' instead of generic link text"). Click the "Clear Highlights" button to remove all highlights without disabling the tool. The tool automatically rescans when the page content changes. All settings are saved per website.

REAL MECHANISM — WHY THIS WORKS

Most link accessibility checkers rely on manual inspection or external auditing tools that require complex setup. Link Purpose Checker uses a DOM-scanning approach with pattern matching to identify ambiguous links. The tool queries the page for all anchor elements with href attributes, then extracts the link's text content, aria-label, title attribute, alt text from child images, and surrounding context text. It then checks the extracted purpose text against a comprehensive list of ambiguous patterns, including "click here," "read more," "learn more," "details," "view," "more," "continue," "next," "back," and over 30 other common ambiguous phrases. If the link text matches any of these patterns and lacks an aria-label or title attribute, the link is marked as ambiguous. The tool then applies a red outline and a warning label using CSS, and stores a suggestion for improvement based on the link's actual text or context. This approach ensures accurate, fast, and fully private link purpose checking without requiring any external services or network access.

THE PANEL

The floating panel is fully draggable and remembers its position per site, snapping to the edges of the viewport when dragged near them. You can collapse the panel to a small icon to minimize screen distraction and expand it back with a single click. The panel is resizable from the bottom-right corner, giving you more space to view results. Press the Escape key to close the panel instantly. The panel remains open across page navigation within the same domain, maintaining your current view state. All preferences—panel position and enabled state—are saved per domain for a seamless experience.

PLEASE NOTE

Link Purpose Checker requires the free BotGentz extension to be installed and enabled, as it relies on the cross-extension messaging API provided by BotGentz for DOM access permissions. The tool detects ambiguous links based on common patterns and may produce false positives or miss custom link texts. The tool does not modify the page content; it only highlights links for review. The hover suggestions are based on the link's existing text or context and are intended as guidance, not automated fixes. All settings are stored locally in your browser using GM_setValue. No page content, link data, or usage information is ever sent to any server. The extension does not read, store, or transmit any personal information. It only scans and highlights links at your request.