Email address exposed as text
If an email address is shown as plain text on a website, automated bots can scrape it and add it to spam lists. This can lead to more spam and phishing emails, the address being stored or resold in bulk lists and increased unwanted mail over time. If the email address must be displayed, using obfuscation techniques can reduce basic scraping, but it does not fully prevent spam.
Using “Click here” as part of link text
This is usually poor practice because it gives little context about where the link goes, is less useful for screen-reader users who navigate by links, makes pages harder to scan and is weaker for SEO than descriptive link text. There is no need to say “click here”, as the link itself already indicates that it can be clicked. Instead of “Click here to email us”, better link text would be “Email us”, “Contact us by email” or “Send us an email”. Instead of “Click here to download the PDF”, use “Download the PDF” or even better, if the document has a clear name, “Download the Annual Report (PDF)”.
Opening links in a new tab
Avoid using target="_blank" unless there is a good reason for opening the link in a separate tab or window. Unexpectedly opening a new tab can be confusing, particularly for screen-reader users, people with cognitive impairments and mobile users who may not immediately realise that the browsing context has changed. Where opening a new tab is necessary, make this clear to the user in the link text or with accessible text, for example “View the report (opens in a new tab)”. This gives users a clear indication of what will happen before they activate the link. A good reason to open a link in a new tab is when the user needs to keep the current page open, for example while viewing a reference, help page or external tool. For normal navigation, it is usually better to let the user decide.
Link text styling
I recommend avoiding bold styling for individual links unless there is a specific design reason for it. In some situations, bold text can make it less clear what is actually clickable, particularly when links appear within already emphasised content. It can also create visual inconsistency if other links on the website use the standard link style. Keeping link styling consistent makes links easier to recognise and gives the website a clearer and more predictable visual hierarchy.
Best practice summary
Keep email addresses protected where possible, use descriptive link text, keep link styling consistent and make link behaviour clear before users activate it.