Plainlinks

Plainlinks is a lightweight convention for representing hyperlinks in plain text without relying on HTML or rich markup. It emphasizes readability and portability across text editors, email clients, and content management systems that do not render rich content.

Format and variants: The core element is a URL, which is easy for machines to parse. Many implementations allow an optional human-readable label placed after the URL, separated by a space or a delimiter such as a dash or vertical bar. For example: https://example.org Example, or https://example.org | Example. Some styles also permit angle-bracket wrapping: <https://example.org> Example.

Rationale: Plainlinks aim to maintain link semantics in environments where HTML anchors may be stripped, disabled, or inaccessible. They support copyable references and automatic indexing by search tools. They also help ensure that long-lived URLs remain legible when rendering engines are limited.

Usage and tooling: Plainlinks are used in software documentation, issue trackers, and note-taking systems that favor plain text. Parsers and converters can transform plainlinks into clickable links in browsers or apps, or render a side panel with the URL and label. They are designed to be reversible and non-destructive to existing workflows.

Limitations and compatibility: Without explicit standards, variants differ between communities, which can reduce interoperability. Some users may prefer purely displayable labels rather than raw URLs, which can complicate parsing. Accessibility considerations suggest providing meaningful labels for screen readers when possible.

See also: Hyperlink, URL, plain text formatting, markdown.