Or: Helping People Get Where They Need to Go
Every website has a reason to exist – a purpose. Maybe it’s to sell something. Or provide a service. Or help someone get answers.
When people visit your site, they’re usually trying to get to that purpose fast.
But the path isn’t always clear.
Especially if you’re using a keyboard.
Menus, banners, popups, navigation links, chat widgets, carousels – there’s a lot standing between someone and the thing they came for. And for users who rely on a keyboard or screen reader, all those extras aren’t just distractions. They’re roadblocks.
So how do we help people get where they need to go?
Skip links. And landmarks.
And a little bit of love.
What is a skip link?
A skip link is a hidden navigation shortcut – usually the very first thing you reach when you press the Tab key on a webpage.
It lets you skip over repetitive navigation and jump straight to the good stuff: the main content.
Skip links aren’t visible by default. But as soon as you hit Tab, they appear – because they’re designed for people navigating with keyboards.
And they’re simple. One quick link. Right at the top. Doing exactly what it says on the tin.
Or: Helping People Get Where They Need to Go
Every website has a reason to exist – a purpose. Maybe it’s to sell something. Or provide a service. Or help someone get answers.
When people visit your site, they’re usually trying to get to that purpose fast.
But the path isn’t always clear.
Especially if you’re using a keyboard.
Menus, banners, popups, navigation links, chat widgets, carousels – there’s a lot standing between someone and the thing they came for. And for users who rely on a keyboard or screen reader, all those extras aren’t just distractions. They’re roadblocks.
So how do we help people get where they need to go?
Skip links. And landmarks.
And a little bit of love.
What is a skip link?
A skip link is a hidden navigation shortcut – usually the very first thing you reach when you press the Tab key on a webpage.
It lets you skip over repetitive navigation and jump straight to the good stuff: the main content.
Skip links aren’t visible by default. But as soon as you hit Tab, they appear – because they’re designed for people navigating with keyboards.
And they’re simple. One quick link. Right at the top. Doing exactly what it says on the tin.
It’s not just “Skip to main content”
Most skip links are labeled “Skip to main content.” And that’s a solid default. But it shouldn’t be the only option.
Think about why your website exists. What’s the real destination?
- If you run an online store, maybe the main goal is “Skip to basket”
- A university portal? “Skip to login”
- A library or archive? “Skip to search results”
- A support site? “Skip to help articles” or “Skip to contact form”
The key question is: Where are people trying to go?
Every site has a raison d’être – a reason to be. Your skip links should help users get there, fast.
Why it says “main content” – and not just “content”
You might wonder: why not just say “Skip to content”?
Here’s the thing – screen readers don’t always pronounce the word “content” the way you’d expect. Without context, it often comes out as con-TENT (like the feeling of calm after a good cup of tea), not CON-tent (the stuff you came to read). Saying “main content” avoids that awkward moment entirely.
Landmarks: The other half of the story
Skip links are like express buses – they go straight to one key destination. But landmarks? They’re more like the underground map. They help you navigate an entire site.
Landmarks are semantic HTML elements that label key regions of a page:
- <main> – your primary content
- <nav> – navigation menus
- <header> – top-level site info
- <footer> – closing info or links
- <aside> – sidebars or extras
- <section> – grouped content blocks
When used correctly, screen readers and other assistive tech can jump straight to these regions. No scrolling. No hunting. Just a clean hop to wherever you want to go.
Landmarks help users understand the structure of your page, just like a map.
This is about respect (and love)
Let’s zoom out for a moment.
Why do skip links and landmarks matter?
Because they say something simple, but powerful: I see you. I know you’re trying to get somewhere. Let me help.
That’s not just good UX. That’s respect.
You’re respecting your user’s time. Their attention. Their energy.
You’re not forcing them to slog through the same 47 links every time they visit.
You’re not hiding the good stuff behind a wall of widgets.
You’re saying: “Here. Let me get out of your way.”
That’s accessibility. And that’s love.
Try it yourself
Here’s a quick experiment:
- Go to your favorite website.
- Put your hand on the Tab key.
- Start tapping.
- How long does it take to reach the main content?
- Is there a skip link? Can you tell?
- Do the page sections have clear headings or regions?
If not, imagine doing that every time you visit.
Or every time you reload the page.
Or every time a modal gets in the way and you have to start over.
That’s what some users deal with every single day.
Quick checklist: Are you helping people get where they need to go?
- Do you have a skip link?
- Does it show up on focus?
- Is it actually useful, leading to the core content?
- Does the label match the site’s real purpose?
- Are you using semantic landmarks like <main>, <nav>, and <footer>?
- Can screen reader and keyboard users understand your page structure?
Nobody Came for Your Hero Image
Helping people reach their destination quickly and easily?
That’s good UX.
That’s good accessibility.
That’s love.
Let your users skip the noise.
Let them find what they came for.
And let your website say, in its own small way:
I’m here to help you get there.
What About ARIA?
You might have heard about ARIA – Accessible Rich Internet Applications. It’s a set of attributes you can add to code to help assistive technologies understand complex interfaces.
Here’s what you need to know as a beginner:
- ARIA is a Plan B, not a Plan A.
Start by using semantic HTML – real buttons, real links, real headings – whenever you can.
If you build things right in the first place, you often won’t need ARIA. - The ARIA Maxim:
Never use ARIA unless you have to.
Always use ARIA when you have to.
If you use ARIA, you’re probably doing it wrong.
(Yes, really. Even experts get it wrong sometimes.)
Bottom line:
Don’t panic. You don’t have to master ARIA to start making accessible websites.
Focus on good structure first, and save the fancy stuff for later.