---
id: html-links
title: "HTML Links"
category: "Frontend"
status: "draft"
verification_status: "conceptual"
canonical_id: ""
aliases: ["HTML hyperlinks", "a tag", "href attribute", "target attribute", "mailto link", "HTML anchor"]
duplicate_of: ""
source_trust_level: "B"
confidence_score: 0.89
created_at: 2026-06-23
updated_at: 2026-06-23
review_reason: ""
merge_history: []
tags: ["html", "web", "frontend", "w3schools", "links", "hyperlinks"]
raw_sources: ["https://www.w3schools.com/html/html_links.asp"]
applied_in: []
github_commit: ""
---

# [[HTML Links]]

## 🎯 한 줄 통찰 (One-line insight)
The HTML `<a>` tag defines a hyperlink, using the `href` attribute for the destination and the `target` attribute to control where the linked document opens. [S1]

## 🧠 핵심 개념 (Core concepts)
- **The `<a>` tag** — defines a hyperlink; syntax is `<a href="url">link text</a>`, where `href` indicates the destination. [S1]
- **The `target` attribute** — controls where the link opens; values are `_self` (default, same window), `_blank` (new tab/window), `_parent` (parent frame), and `_top` (full window). [S1]
- **Absolute vs relative URLs** — absolute URLs are full web addresses; a relative URL links to a page within the same website. [S1]
- **Image as a link** — put an `<img>` tag inside the `<a>` tag. [S1]
- **Email link** — use `mailto:` inside `href` to open the user's email program. [S1]
- **Button as a link** — requires JavaScript (an `onclick` handler that sets `document.location`). [S1]
- **The `title` attribute** — specifies extra information, most often shown as a tooltip on hover. [S1]
- **Link color states** — an unvisited link is underlined and blue, a visited link is underlined and purple, an active link is underlined and red. [S1]

## 🧩 추출된 패턴 (Extracted patterns)
- **Basic link pattern** — `<a href="url">link text</a>`. [S1]
- **New-tab pattern** — `<a href="url" target="_blank">…</a>`. [S1]
- **Image-link pattern** — nest `<img>` inside `<a>`. [S1]
- **Email pattern** — `<a href="mailto:address">…</a>`. [S1]
- **Button-link pattern** — `<button onclick="document.location='url'">…</button>`. [S1]
- **Tooltip pattern** — add a `title` attribute to the `<a>` tag. [S1]

## 📖 세부 내용 (Details)
**Link syntax** — the HTML `<a>` tag defines a hyperlink; it has the following syntax: [S1]
```html
<a href="url">link text</a>
```

**Basic link** — a link to W3Schools.com: [S1]
```html
<a href="https://www.w3schools.com/">Visit W3Schools.com!</a>
```

**The `target` attribute** — use `target="_blank"` to open the linked document in a new browser window or tab. Target values are `_self` (default), `_blank`, `_parent`, and `_top`. [S1]
```html
<a href="https://www.w3schools.com/" target="_blank">Visit W3Schools!</a>
```

**Absolute vs relative URLs** — a local link (a link to a page within the same website) is specified with a relative URL: [S1]
```html
<h2>Absolute URLs</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.w3.org/">W3C</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.google.com/">Google</a></p>

<h2>Relative URLs</h2>
<p><a href="html_images.asp">HTML Images</a></p>
<p><a href="/css/default.asp">CSS Tutorial</a></p>
```

**Image as a link** — to use an image as a link, just put the `<img>` tag inside the `<a>` tag: [S1]
```html
<a href="default.asp">
<img src="smiley.gif" alt="HTML tutorial" style="width:42px;height:42px;">
</a>
```

**Email link** — use `mailto:` inside the `href` attribute to create a link that opens the user's email program: [S1]
```html
<a href="mailto:someone@example.com">Send email</a>
```

**Button as a link** — to use an HTML button as a link, you have to add some JavaScript code: [S1]
```html
<button onclick="document.location='default.asp'">HTML Tutorial</button>
```

**Link title attribute** — the `title` attribute specifies extra information about an element; the information is most often shown as a tooltip text: [S1]
```html
<a href="https://www.w3schools.com/html/" title="Go to W3Schools HTML section">Visit our HTML Tutorial</a>
```

**Link color states** — by default: an unvisited link is underlined and blue; a visited link is underlined and purple; an active link is underlined and red. [S1]

## 🛠️ 적용 사례 (Applied in summary)
The W3Schools basic link, the new-tab link, the image link, the mailto link, and the button link above are the canonical applied examples from the source. No external project/commit applications found in the source.

## 💻 코드 패턴 (Code patterns)
Basic hyperlink (HTML):
```html
<a href="https://www.w3schools.com/">Visit W3Schools.com!</a>
```
Open in a new tab:
```html
<a href="https://www.w3schools.com/" target="_blank">Visit W3Schools!</a>
```
Image as a link:
```html
<a href="default.asp">
<img src="smiley.gif" alt="HTML tutorial" style="width:42px;height:42px;">
</a>
```
Email link:
```html
<a href="mailto:someone@example.com">Send email</a>
```
Button as a link:
```html
<button onclick="document.location='default.asp'">HTML Tutorial</button>
```

## ⚖️ 비교 및 선택 기준 (Comparison & decision criteria)
The source distinguishes the four `target` values and absolute vs relative URLs: [S1]

| Choice | Meaning |
|---|---|
| `target="_self"` | Open in the same window (default) |
| `target="_blank"` | Open in a new window or tab |
| `target="_parent"` | Open in the parent frame |
| `target="_top"` | Open in the full body of the window |
| Absolute URL | Full web address (e.g. `https://www.w3.org/`) |
| Relative URL | Page within the same website (e.g. `html_images.asp`) |

## ⚖️ 모순 및 업데이트 (Contradictions & updates)
No contradictions found in the source.

## ✅ 검증 상태 및 신뢰도
- **상태:** draft
- **검증 단계:** conceptual (실제 적용 사례 발견 시 applied/validated로 승격 가능)
- **출처 신뢰도:** B (W3Schools — widely used educational reference, not a primary standards body)
- **신뢰 점수:** 0.89
- **중복 검사 결과:** 신규 생성 (New discovery)

## 🔗 지식 그래프 (Knowledge Graph)
- **상위/루트:** [[HTML Tutorial]]
- **관련 개념:** [[HTML Images]], [[HTML Attributes]], [[HTML Page Title]], [[HTML Introduction]]
- **참조 맥락:** Referenced whenever creating navigation, hyperlinks, email links, image links, or button-based navigation.

## 📚 출처 (Sources)
- [S1] W3Schools — HTML Links — https://www.w3schools.com/html/html_links.asp

## 📝 변경 이력 (Change history)
- 2026-06-23: Initial draft synthesized from the W3Schools "HTML Links" page (Astra wiki-curation, P-Reinforce v3.1 format).