Definition: HREF

(Hypertext REFerence) The HTML code used to create a link to another page. The HREF is an attribute of the anchor tag, which is also used to identify sections within a document. The HREF contains two components: the URL, which is the actual link, and the clickable text that appears on the page, called the "anchor text."

Relative (implicit) and Absolute (explicit) Links
In the first part of the following example, the URL comprises only the file name EXAMPLES.HTML, which is the Web page (Web document) to link to. Because only the file name is given, it is implied that EXAMPLES.HTML resides in the same folder as the Web page with the link. Relative links are widely used because there are no changes required if the pages are moved to a different folder or if the folder is renamed. Every link points within.

However, if EXAMPLES.HTML were on a different website, the full URL with an HTTP:// prefix has to be used, as in the second example. In both cases, the words SAMPLE PRODUCTS are the anchor text, which the user sees and clicks. See hypertext and HREFLANG.