A web link can be fundamentally defined as a connection from on Web source to another. Although the abstract idea is simple, a web link is the primary force that has driven to the success of the web. A web link has two ends, namely 'anchor' and 'direction'. A web link starts from the 'source' anchor and points toward the 'destination' anchor, which may be any web resource including images, videos, programs or elements within HTML documents. i.e. the destination anchor of a web link may be an element within an HTML document. This can be done by naming the destination anchor with an attribute or any other element, for e.g. 'A'. Any URI (Universal Resource Identifier) addressing this anchor must include the name as its fragment identifier. The role of the web link defined by 'A' is specified via the related attributes. For example, the web link defined by the identifier 'A' may describe the position of a document within a series of documents. Though the HTML elements and attributes create web links to other resources, web links can also be assigned a specific location such as at the top or in the body of a document.

When the href tag for an attribute 'A', representing a web link is set, a source anchor is defined for the web link. The user may activate this to retrieve a web resource through a web link. Here the source anchor for the web link is the location 'A' and the destination anchor of the web link is the web resource i.e. it may be the destination of other web links. There are several ways by which the retrieved resource of the web link can be handled by the user. It can be done by creating a new HTML document in a different or same user agent window, or even by starting a new program to handle the web resource.

A second title attribute is usually maintained in order to define the relationship between the current document and another resource, through the web link. Although the link has no content, some user agents may render the relationship it defines. This element may also be used to provide a variety of information about the web link to search engines, such as web links to alternate versions of the document, written in another language or a web link defined for a particular media such a version suitable for printing.

The author of a web page may insert web links that express other relationships between the resources, in their documents i.e. as a hyperlink, rather than giving the web link directly. The content available in the web link may be rendered by the user in such a way that the presence of the web link is highlighted, such as by underlining the text. The default behavior of a web link is the revival of another Web resource. This is the most common use of a web link and this behavior of a web link is usually implicitly obtained by selecting the web link or web link to the starting page of a set of documents.