Skip links use the semantic<a> HTML element (anchor element) with anhref attribute to create a hyperlink to another element on the page.

The skip link targets an element or landmark on the page in order to move focus to the top of the target content and not require keyboard users to tab through all other navigational components.

Skip links are visually hidden by default. They temporarily appear when they are tabbed to, using the Tab key. Skip links are activated using the Enter key or by mouse click.

Most screen readers will announce "link" alongside a skip link's label. For example, using Voiceover on Mac, a skip link labelled "Skip to main content" will be read out as "Skip to main content, link".

The skip link component has been based on the following resources:

We’ve tested this component against WCAG 2.2 Level AA. It’s been tested with NVDA and VoiceOver, and several different users with different interaction methods.