The Contextual Link: Connect the Reader to an Authoritative Source

Award-winning writer Kathy Widenhouse has helped hundreds of nonprofits and writers produce successful content and has gained 600K+ views for her writing tutorials. She is the author of 9 books. See more of Kathy’s content here.

An online devotional for writers

A Word From The Word

Jesus told him, “The Scriptures say ,‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”(Matthew 4:4, NLT)

A Word For Writers

Contextual links are clickable text in your online content (like this). They’re usually a different color than the rest of the page text. And often, contextual links are underlined.

They’re presented “in context.” A good contextual link flows naturally as part of your online content. It connects the reader to an additional relevant source of authoritative information.

The Bible has plenty of contextual links, but they’re not underlined and sometimes they’re not even in quotes. Nevertheless, New Testament writers quoted Old Testament writers at least 885 times, according to the Blue Letter Bible -- 96 in the Gospel of Matthew alone. They used both allusions and specific wordings when linking back to the Old Testament.

One way to recognize contextual links? Jesus, Paul, James, Peter, and all four gospels repeatedly write, “The scriptures say …” followed by an Old Testament reference. They draw on the Old Testament as an authoritative source to drive home the point they wanted to make.

The same principle applies as you include a contextual link in your online content. Make sure it directs your reader to a useful or authoritative source.

Links like that build the case you make in your content … and build your credibility as a writer, too.

A Wise Word

Write contextual links that direct readers to authoritative source.

A Word To Pray

Heavenly Father,

Thank you for giving us your Word as an authoritative source of your truth. Show me how to point my readers to helpful contextual links that are reliable and useful.

In Jesus’s name, Amen.

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