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Alert - Link to document

  • WAVE Category: Alert
  • WAVE Alert: Link to document

Page Content Status

  • WAVE Error guidance text
  • Example of a DOM Snippet Generated From WAVE Tool
  • Project Team Error guidance
    • Project Team Page Details
    • Project Team Issue and PR details
    • Project Team Solution
  • Credits/Authors

WAVE Guidance

WAVE Tool's Reference material on Link to document may not specifically address your problem. We provide it here for optional reading.

Click to see WAVE Tool Reference

This content added 2026-04-07. Check for updated guidance at: https://wave.webaim.org/api/docs?format=html#link_document

WAVE Category

Alerts

WAVE Error

Link to document

What It Means

A link to a non-HTML document is present.

Why It Matters

Unless authored with accessibility in mind, documents that are not HTML often have accessibility issues. Additionally, these documents are typically viewed using a separate application, and can thus cause confusion and navigation difficulties.

What To Do

Ensure the document is authored to be accessible, if possible. Additionally, inform the user that the link will open in a separate program. Because these documents have limitations in accessibility (particularly for complex content) and require a separate program, an accessible format should usually be used in place of or in addition to the document.

The Algorithm... in English

A link to a .rtf, .wpd, .ods, .odt, .odp, .sxw, .sxc, .sxd, .sxi, .pages, or .key file is present. Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and PDF are identified with separate icons.

Standards and Guidelines

None

Example of a DOM Snippet Generated From WAVE Tool

[HTML snippet showing the problematic code structure that WAVE detected]

Project Team Error guidance

The following material covers how the Project Team has provided a solution to the Link to document WAVE Alert.

Project Page Details

  • Project Page name: [INSERT PAGE NAME or "ALL"]
  • Project Dev URL: [INSERT URL or "N/A"]
  • Requires sign in: [TRUE OR FALSE]
    • Required User Role: [INSERT ONE OF: Visitor, Logged in user, Admin, Security Admin]
    • Can access page directly from URL: [TRUE OR FALSE]
    • Accepts URL parameters: [TRUE OR FALSE]

Project Team Issue and PR details

  • Related GitHub Issue(s):
    • [INSERT ISSUE URL]
  • Related Pull Request(s):
    • [INSERT PR URL]
  • React Component(s)
    • [INSERT PATH: e.g. path/to/Component.jsx]

Project Team Solution

What is the specific problem that was occurring?

[INSERT CONTENT]

What is the proposed solution to this problem?

[INSERT CONTENT]

Step-By-Step Guide

Click to see step-by-step guide

[ADD DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS HERE]

Other Technical Details

Click to see other technical details

[INSERT OTHER DETAILS e.g. Prop References, Return Value ]

Code Snippet With Solution

Click to see code snippets

[INSERT PATH file/path/to/Snippet.jsx]

[Code example showing the fix/solution]

Why the Fix Works

[INSERT CONTENT]

Where this solution is applicable

  • [INSERT SCENARIO 1]
  • [INSERT SCENARIO 2]
  • [INSERT SCENARIO N]

Screenshots of WAVE Error

1. Descriptive Title for Screenshot Set 1

Description/text for image

[INSERT IMAGE HERE]

Credits/Authors

  • @MissBrandyLea
  • [INCLUDE Contributor 2]
  • [INCLUDE Contributor N]