Links need href

ZMD010

Every <a> element must have a non-empty href attribute to function as a link and be keyboard-focusable.

<a href="/learn-more">Learn more</a>

<a>Learn more</a>

When: An anchor tag lacks an href or it is blank

Warning: <a> tag missing non-empty href attribute

Solution: Add a valid href value

Accessibility: Anchors without href are skipped in focus navigation and not announced as links :contentReference[oaicite:10]{index=10}.

SEO: Search engines only index <a> elements with href, so missing href undermines discoverability.

Goal: Ensure anchor elements are recognized as links by browsers and assistive technologies.
What to do: Add a valid URL or fragment value to each <a> via the href attribute.
Why: Without href, anchors lack focusability and are not announced as links.

Prevent misusing <a> tags as non-link elements, maintaining both accessibility and semantic correctness.

Keyboard accessibility: anchors with href are included in tab order :contentReference[oaicite:8]{index=8}.
Screen-reader clarity: links announce their presence and destination via href :contentReference[oaicite:9]{index=9}.
Usability: users expect clickable text to navigate to resources.

WCAG G203: Ensure <a> elements have an href attribute per WCAG 2.4.4.
axe-core rule: href-no-hash: Disallow anchors without valid URIs or URL fragments.

The href attribute on <a> defines the hypertext link; without it, the element does not represent a hyperlink.

Avoid using <a> without href; if you need a button, use <button> instead.
Validate your code with axe or pa11y to catch missing href values automatically.