Links and linking

Links to raisingchildren.net.au pages in body copy

You can add links to raisingchildren.net.au content as hyperlinks in the body copy of articles and some other assets. This has advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages include offering the user more information on a topic without adding the information to the page the user is currently on. You can also use hyperlinks to highlight points and aid scannability.

Disadvantages include driving the user to another page, with the likelihood the user won't return to the starting page. Also, the overuse of hyperlinks can make a page look spotty and decrease its scannability.

Therefore hyperlinks should be added only if they can genuinely add to the user's experience or answer a significant question for the user. It's best to use hyperlinks judiciously and to consult with the editorial team if you're uncertain.

When writing hyperlinking text, ensure the linking text describes the content the reader will find when clicking on it:

• • Teenage friendships change over time. 

  • See our article/illustrated guide/video on <topic>

  • You can find more information on time-out in our article on consequences.

If your linking text refers to an article or other content specifically, you should follow the capitalisation of the destination page exactly:

• • See our Rough-and-tumble play article.

  • Explore Pregnancy for partners.

But if your linking text refers to the topic of an article or other content, rather than the content itself, use lower case, or the case demanded by the sentence you're writing:

• • Most children love rough-and-tumble play and play fighting.

  • Talk and listen to your child's feelings about returning to school.

  • Your praise and encouragement helps children feel good about themselves.

Links to raisingchildren.net.au pages in You might also like field

You can add links to raisingchildren.net.au content in the You might also like (YMAL) fields.

An advantage of using YMALs over hyperlinks in the body copy is that they're easier for readers to scan if they're looking for related topics. Another benefit is that the CMS will automatically remove YMAL links if the destination asset is archived.

The YMAL field is limited to 6 links.

External weblinks: what's appropriate

Consider the following points when selecting external links:

• • Does the page merely duplicate what's on our page? If so, it isn't a valuable link.

  • Does the page offer extra information to the user? If so, check whether that information should be included in our content. If it's essential information, it should probably be included in the body copy itself. But if it's merely interesting and useful, it's probably worthwhile adding it as a link.

  • Is the page relevant and pitched to parents? Note that a page with lots of specialist, professional or technical information is unlikely to be valuable to our primary audience.

  • Is the content evidence-based or fact checked? Examples of fact-checked websites include The Conversation and ABC.

  • Is there a commercial element? If the site promotes or sells products or courses, it's unlikely to be an appropriate link, even if the site belongs to a prominent expert. If you think a site with a commercial element is still a good link, discuss with a Content manager or the Managing editor.

It's also important to ensure that your link destination is closely related to the topic of the raisingchildren.net.au content that the user has been viewing. For example, the Education rights for children with disability article has several links to the Australian Human Rights Commission. But each link goes to a webpage within the HRC site with specific relevance to a topic covered in the article.

External weblinks: style for link assets

If you're adding external links, you'll need to create link assets. Use the following guide for how to write the asset titles.

When the link goes to the homepage of an organisation’s website, present the linked organisation title in title case:

Youth Beyond Blue

When the link goes to a webpage within an organisation’s website, present the linked organisation title in title case followed by a spaced en dash, followed by the title of the webpage in the case that matches the webpage:

Healthdirect – COVID-19 Restriction Checker

Australian Government Department of Health – COVID-19 vaccines

National Child Traumatic Stress Network – Resources for Parents and Caregivers

Phoenix Australia – Recovery fact sheets & booklets

Australian Human Rights Commission – Know your rights: disability discrimination

Note: sometimes organisation titles are run together in website banners or organisational logos – for example, YouthBeyondBlue. Our website usually presents these title more conventionally as separate words – for example, Youth Beyond Blue. In these instances, decisions about presenting organisational title are best made on a case-by-case basis.

When the link goes to a YouTube video, present the link with the name of the person who posted the video first (this will usually be in title case because it's a proper noun) followed by a spaced en dash, followed by the title of the video in sentence case, followed by '(YouTube video)'. For example:

Jon Bergmann – The flipped classroom (YouTube video)

When the link goes to an organisation's Facebook page (for example, because the organisation operates a Facebook page rather than a website), present the organisation title followed by 'Facebook page'. For example:

Kinship Connections Aboriginal Corporation Facebook page

External weblinks: number in External links field

You can add links to external websites and webpages in the External links fields.

The External links field allows a maximum of 10 links but we tend to add up to 6 links in most circumstances. If you wish to add more than 6, discuss with the Editorial team.

External links in body copy: use, style

It's best to avoid external links in body copy. This is because external links drive users off our site. Instead add these links to the External weblinks field (see above).

Sometimes, however, you might need to add a link to an external organisation in the body copy, as in the services and support articles. In this case, our style preference is for presenting the organisational title in title case, followed by a spaced en dash, followed by the webpage title in sentence case. For example:

ACT Health – COVID-19

SA Health – COVID-19 health information

Queensland Department of Education and Training – Parents and carers 

Queensland Department of Education and Training – Every student with disability succeeding 

If it's difficult to achieve to achieve this style – for example, because some webpage titles include proper nouns or agency titles –  aim for as much consistency as possible across the links on the page.

A note about linking to organisations' Facebook pages in services and support articles: in many services articles, the linked organisation title is used as a subsubhead, followed by a soft return and a description of the organisation. When an organisation's link goes to a Facebook page, just use the organisation title for the linked subhead, without adding 'Facebook page' (even though the link asset includes the Facebook information).

Links to PDFs

Please check whether the destination of your link is a webpage or a PDF file.

If it's a PDF, check the size of the document and add this information to the link asset title. Check the size by right-clicking on the document, selecting View page info and checking Size. Round the size up or down to the nearest whole number.

For links to PDFs, note that the link is a PDF and include its size, all in brackets, after the asset title:

Sands Australia – Early Pregnancy Loss (PDF: 274kb)

Sands Australia – A father’s grief (PDF: 189kb)

Sands Australia – For family and friends (PDF: 209kb)

Note: no space between the number and 'kb'.