What does the HTML <a> tag define?

The HTML <a> tag defines a hyperlink.

The element is commonly called the anchor element, and its href attribute specifies the destination. For example, <a href="https://example.com">Example</a> displays clickable text that leads to another web address. The linked content can point to another page, a section within the same page, a file, an email address, or another supported URL destination.

The <a> element is often confused with tags that describe content structure. The <p> element defines a paragraph, <ul> and <ol> create lists, and <img> embeds an image. The <a> element creates the connection between content and a destination; it does not itself define an image or paragraph.

The visible words inside the element are called anchor text or link text. Good anchor text usually describes where the link goes, which helps people using screen readers and can give search engines useful context. An anchor can also wrap an image, in which case the image’s alternative text helps identify the link.