Sidelinks

Sidelinks are hyperlinks placed in the side column of a webpage or document, and are primarily used for navigation and access to related content. They differ from inline links that appear within article text by offering a persistent, easily scannable set of options across pages or sections. In many sites, sidelinks appear in a left or right sidebar or in a dedicated navigation panel, and may include menus, category lists, recent or popular articles, or external resources. In wiki environments, sidelinks often form part of the site’s navigation template or the page’s sidebar, linking to related articles, help pages, or tools.

Design and usability considerations include clear hierarchy, concise anchor text, and a balance between helpful navigation and visual clutter. Sidelinks should be accessible via keyboard and screen readers, use semantic markup, and adapt to different screen sizes through responsive layouts or collapsible panels. When a site has many sidelinks, grouping them into sections or collapsible subsections helps keep the main content readable while maintaining discoverability.

Pros of sidelinks include improved information architecture, quicker access to related topics, and consistent navigation across pages. Potential drawbacks are visual overload on devices with limited space, performance implications if the panel loads large arrays of links, and the risk of outdated or irrelevant links if maintenance is neglected.

In summary, sidelinks are a common web design element that enhances navigation and content discovery by providing a stable, accessible set of links in a page’s side area, complementing the primary content and inline references.