Link Testing Ground

This page tests how the website saves and displays different kinds of links. Each item shows the link, the exact URL, and the expected result.

Use this page for release testing, link checker tests, and analytics checks. Click each link and compare the result to the expected result. Use the browser developer tools to compare the saved URL to the URL that displays.

• Root-relative path
  URL: /web/content-demo
  Expected: Opens the content demo site. This is the recommended format for internal links.
• Absolute internal URL
  URL: https://www.ithaca.edu/web/content-demo
  Expected: Opens the content demo site. Works, but the link breaks on Dev, Test, and Sandbox copies of the site.
• Trailing slash
  URL: /web/content-demo/
  Expected: Opens the content demo site, or redirects to the URL without the slash.
• Relative path with no leading slash
  URL: web/content-demo
  Expected: Broken. The browser adds the path to the current URL.
• Homepage
  URL: /
  Expected: Opens the Ithaca College homepage.
• Node path
  URL: /node/50523
  Expected: Opens the content demo site. The address bar can show /node/50523 or the alias.
• Uppercase path
  URL: /Web/Content-Demo
  Expected: Tests case sensitivity. Drupal aliases are usually not case sensitive.
• Link to a draft page
  URL: /web/content-demo/info-card-collections
  Expected: Visitors who are not logged in get an access denied or not found page.
• Link to a login-restricted page
  URL: /web/content-demo/access-restriction-demo/login-restricted-page
  Expected: Visitors who are not logged in go to a login prompt.
• Broken internal link
  URL: /web/this-page-does-not-exist
  Expected: Shows the page not found (404) page.
• Protocol-relative URL
  URL: //www.ithaca.edu/web/content-demo
  Expected: Opens the content demo site with the protocol of the current page.
• Insecure http URL
  URL: http://www.ithaca.edu/web/content-demo
  Expected: Redirects to https.
• Pantheon Test environment URL
  URL: https://test-ithaca-www.pantheonsite.io/web/content-demo
  Expected: Opens the Test environment. Live content must not link to Dev, Test, or Sandbox.

• One parameter
  URL: /web/content-demo?test=1
  Expected: Opens the content demo site. The address bar shows ?test=1.
• Two parameters with an ampersand
  URL: /web/content-demo?first=1&second=2
  Expected: The address bar shows ?first=1&second=2. The saved HTML must use & in the href.
• Absolute URL with three parameters
  URL: https://www.ithaca.edu/web/content-demo?first=1&second=2&third=3
  Expected: All three parameters stay in the URL.
• UTM campaign tags
  URL: https://www.ithaca.edu/web/content-demo?utm_source=link-test&utm_medium…
  Expected: All three UTM tags stay in the URL. Do not use UTM tags on internal links, because they start a new session in GA4.
• Encoded ampersand in a value
  URL: /web/content-demo?q=rock%26roll
  Expected: The parameter q has the value rock&roll.
• Unencoded ampersand in a value
  URL: /web/content-demo?q=rock&roll
  Expected: The value breaks into q=rock and a second parameter named roll.
• Double-encoded ampersand
  URL: /web/content-demo?first=1&second=2
  Expected: Broken on purpose. The second parameter name becomes amp;second.
• Literal ampersand in the path
  URL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AT&T
  Expected: Opens the Wikipedia article for AT&T.
• Encoded ampersand in the path
  URL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AT%26T
  Expected: Opens the same Wikipedia article.
• Parameter with no value
  URL: /web/content-demo?flag&empty=
  Expected: The address bar shows ?flag&empty=.
• Array parameters
  URL: /web/content-demo?tags[]=film&tags[]=music
  Expected: Both tags[] parameters stay in the URL. The brackets can be encoded as %5B%5D.
• Plus sign for a space
  URL: /web/content-demo?q=film+studies
  Expected: The value is film studies.
• Encoded space
  URL: /web/content-demo?q=film%20studies
  Expected: The value is film studies.
• Unencoded space
  URL: /web/content-demo?q=film studies
  Expected: The browser encodes the space as %20. Some link checkers report this as an error.
• Query string and fragment
  URL: /web/content-demo?first=1&second=2#main-content
  Expected: Opens the page at the main content area with both parameters.
• Fragment before query string
  URL: /web/content-demo#main-content?first=1
  Expected: Wrong order. The browser treats ?first=1 as part of the fragment.
• Encoded URL as a value
  URL: /web/content-demo?redirect=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ithaca.edu%2F&x=1
  Expected: The redirect value stays one parameter.
• Unencoded URL as a value
  URL: /web/content-demo?redirect=https://www.ithaca.edu/?a=1&b=2
  Expected: The parameter b separates from the redirect value.
• Semicolon separator
  URL: /web/content-demo?a=1;b=2
  Expected: Most servers read this as one parameter named a with the value 1;b=2.
• Google Maps search
  URL: https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Ithaca+College
  Expected: Opens Google Maps with a search for Ithaca College.
• https://www.google.com/search?q=ithaca+college+web+communications&hl=en&safe=active&num=10&start=0
  URL: https://www.google.com/search?q=ithaca+college+web+communications&hl=en…
  Expected: Long URL as link text. The text must wrap on small screens.

• Fragment on this page
  URL: #main-content
  Expected: Jumps to the main content area of this page.
• Empty fragment
  URL: #
  Expected: Jumps to the top of the page. Link checkers often report this.
• Fragment on another page
  URL: /web/content-demo#main-content
  Expected: Opens the content demo site at the main content area.
• Fragment to a missing ID
  URL: #this-id-does-not-exist
  Expected: Nothing happens. The page does not move.

• Email link
  URL: mailto:noreply@ithaca.edu
  Expected: Opens a new email to noreply@ithaca.edu.
• Email with subject and body
  URL: mailto:noreply@ithaca.edu?subject=Link%20Test&body=Hello%20from%20the%2…
  Expected: The subject and body fill in. Spaces must be encoded as %20.
• Email to two recipients with CC
  URL: mailto:noreply@ithaca.edu,noreply2@ithaca.edu?cc=noreply3@ithaca.edu&su…
  Expected: Two recipients, one CC address, and a subject fill in.
• Email subject with an unencoded ampersand
  URL: mailto:noreply@ithaca.edu?subject=Q&A Session
  Expected: Broken on purpose. The subject is only Q.
• Email with a plus sign
  URL: mailto:noreply+test@ithaca.edu
  Expected: Opens a new email to noreply+test@ithaca.edu.
• Phone link
  URL: tel:+15555554321
  Expected: Opens the phone app on mobile devices.
• Phone link with extension
  URL: tel:+15555554321,123
  Expected: Dials the number, pauses, then dials 123.
• Phone link with dashes
  URL: tel:555-555-4321
  Expected: Works on most devices. The +1 format is recommended.
• Text message link
  URL: sms:+15555554321
  Expected: Opens the messages app on mobile devices.
• FTP link
  URL: ftp://ftp.example.com/
  Expected: Most browsers block FTP links now.
• Link to a PDF file (PDF)
  URL: https://www.w3.org/WAI/ER/tests/xhtml/testfiles/resources/pdf/dummy.pdf
  Expected: Opens or downloads a PDF. Include the file type in the link text.
• Encoded non-English characters
  URL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caf%C3%A9
  Expected: Opens the Wikipedia article for Café.
• Unencoded non-English characters
  URL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Café
  Expected: Opens the same article. The browser encodes the é.
• URL with a port number
  URL: http://example.com:8080/
  Expected: The connection usually fails. This tests that the port saves.
• JavaScript link
  URL: javascript:void(0)
  Expected: The text filter removes the javascript: part. The link goes nowhere.

• Link set to open in a new tab
  Expected: The editor or text filter can remove target and rel. Check the saved HTML.
• Link with a title attribute
  Expected: The text filter can remove the title attribute.
• Bold text inside a link
  Expected: Bold link text.
• Link inside bold text
  Expected: Bold link text. The HTML order is different.
• First link Second link
  Expected: Two separate links next to each other.
• This is a very long link text that continues for many words so that it must wrap onto a second or third line on small screens
  Expected: The link text wraps. The underline stays on every line.
• Click here and Learn more and Learn more
  Expected: Accessibility checkers flag these. Link text must describe the destination. Two Learn more links go to different pages.
• https://www.ithaca.edu
  Expected: A raw URL as link text. Screen readers read every character.

A link inside a paragraph: read the Support Guides for more help.