How to Change Link Color in WordPress

The color of hyperlinks on your website is crucial for user experience, influencing how visitors interact with your content. It enhances visibility, guides users, and contributes to the site’s user-friendliness. 

This detail is also key for brand consistency, reflecting your brand identity and aiding in brand recognition. So, how to change link color in WordPress?

We’ve decided to share several ways to approach the assignment, including theme customization, CSS modifications, and plugins. These changes not only improve your site’s visual appeal but also its usability, ensuring links are noticeable and align with your design scheme.

Understanding WordPress Change Link Color

In WordPress, such details are crucial for both aesthetics and usability, ust like knowing how to change font color in WordPress header and they’re typically managed through theme settings or CSS.

Many WP themes allow easy customization through the theme customizer, enabling changes without editing CSS code.

CSS is the primary tool for styling hyperlinks. It allows you to specify colors and styles for different link states like hover or visited using selectors like a, a:link, a:visited, a:hover, and a:active.

Here’s why it’s significant:

• Visibility and Readability: A color that stands out enhances link visibility, making clickable items clear to users.
• User Experience: The right choice improves navigation and overall user experience, indicating which text is clickable.
• Brand Consistency: Your palette should align with your website’s scheme and branding for aesthetic harmony.
• Accessibility: Ensure the element provides sufficient contrast with the background for accessibility, including for those with visual impairments.

Choosing the right hyperlink colors in WordPress involves a balance between design and usability, ensuring that links are visually integrated and contribute to an intuitive user experience.

Preparing to Change the Palette

Before diving into changing the hyperlink colors on your WordPress site, it’s important to take preparatory steps to ensure a smooth and safe transition. Here’s how you can get started:

Backing Up Your WordPress Site Before Making Changes

• Full Backup: Ensure you have a complete backup of your WordPress site. This includes your database, themes, plugins, and media files. Use a reliable backup solution or an add-on. You can also opt for building a wordpress plugin for your website to create this backup.
• Safety Net: Having a backup provides a safety net in case any changes result in unexpected issues or if you need to revert to the previous state.

Identifying the Current Settings in Your Theme

• Theme Customizer: If your theme supports it, go to the WordPress Customizer (Appearance > Customize) and look for sections like ‘Colors’, ‘Typography’, or ‘General Settings’. These sections often contain the needed settings.
• Inspecting CSS: If your theme doesn’t have an option in the customizer, you can identify the current settings using the browser’s inspect tool. Right-click on a link on your site and select ‘Inspect’ (or ‘Inspect Element’). Look for CSS properties like color under selectors like a, a:link, or a:hover.
• Theme Stylesheet: Alternatively, you can check the theme’s stylesheet (usually named style.css) either via the Theme Editor (Appearance > Theme Editor) or by accessing your site files via FTP. Look for link-related CSS selectors mentioned above.

By backing up your site and understanding the current settings, you set a firm foundation for making changes. This approach not only ensures that your site remains secure and recoverable but also gives you a clear starting point for your customization work.

Method 1: Using the WordPress Customizer (Global)

One of the easiest ways to change hyperlink colors on your WordPress site is through the WordPress Customizer. This tool allows you to make changes globally and see them in real time before applying them to your site.

Navigating to the WordPress Customizer

• Accessing the Customizer:
  • In your WordPress dashboard, go to ‘Appearance’ > ‘Customize’. This will open the WordPress Customizer.

• Familiarize with the Interface:
  • The Customizer interface shows a live preview of your site on the right, with a menu of customization options on the left.

Locating the Options for Links

• Finding Settings:
  • Within the Customizer, look for sections like ‘Colors’, ‘Typography’, or ‘General Settings’. The exact naming can vary depending on your theme.
  • In these sections, find options labeled ‘Link Color’ or similar. Some themes might include options under ‘Body’ or ‘Content’ settings.

• Theme-Specific Settings:
  • Keep in mind that not all themes offer direct link color customization in the Customizer. The availability of these options is theme-dependent.

Changing the Hue and Previewing Changes in Real-Time

• Selecting New Hues:
  • Once you locate the settings, click on the color selection tool. Most themes offer a picker or allow you to enter a specific code (like a hex code).

• Previewing Changes:
  • As you choose a new color, the Customizers live preview will update to show how the hyperlinks look with the new hue on your site. This allows you to experiment and see the results in real-time.
• Applying the Changes:
  • Once you’re satisfied with the new link color, click ‘Publish’ to apply the changes to your live site.

Using the WordPress Customizer for changing hues is a user-friendly method that doesn’t require any coding knowledge. It provides a quick and effective way to update the aesthetics of your site’s links and ensure they align with your overall design and branding strategy.

Method 2: Custom CSS (Global or Individual)

On the list of pros and cons of WordPress, the ability to add custom code is definitely a pro. For those who require more control over their link colors or whose themes don’t provide built-in options, using custom CSS is an effective method. This approach allows you to define link colors globally across your site or target specific links or pages.

Accessing the Additional CSS Section in the Customizer

• Navigate to Customizer: In your WordPress dashboard, go to ‘Appearance’ > ‘Customize’. This opens the WordPress Customizer.

• Find Additional CSS: Scroll down in the Customizer menu until you find the ‘Additional CSS’ section. This section is designed for adding custom CSS snippets.

Writing Custom CSS Code

• Basic Link Color CSS: To change the hue of all links globally, you can use a simple CSS snippet like:Replace #desiredColorCode with your preferred code.

a {
color: #desiredColorCode;
}

• Hover and Active States: To style links when hovered over or clicked, you can add:

a:hover {
color: #hoverColorCode;
}
a:active {
color: #activeColorCode; }

• Visited Links: To style visited links differently, use:

a:visited {
color: #visitedColorCode;
}

Tips for Targeting Specific Links or Pages with CSS

• Using Classes and IDs: If you want to change the hues only in certain parts of your site, use the class or ID of the element containing the links. For example:

.className a {
color: #colorCode;
}

• Page-Specific CSS: To target links on a specific page, you can use the page’s unique ID in the CSS. For example:

.page-id-123 a {
color: #colorCode;
}

• You can find the page ID by inspecting the body tag of the page using the browser’s developer tools.

• Widget or Section Specific: Similarly, to target links within a widget or a specific section, find the widget or section’s class or ID and apply your CSS to the links within it.

Using custom CSS for changing link colors offers flexibility and precision, especially for those who wish to have specific styles for different sections or types of links on their website. It’s a powerful way to tailor the link appearance to match your site’s design and user experience goals.

Method 3: Theme Options (Global)

Many WordPress themes come with their own set of customization options, including the ability to change link colors. These theme-specific options provide a user-friendly way to modify the appearance of your links globally, aligning them with your site’s overall design.

Exploring Theme-Specific Options for Changing Link Colors

• Theme Customization Panel: Most modern WordPress themes offer a theme options panel, often integrated into the WordPress Customizer. This panel usually includes settings where you can change the hues of various elements, including links.
• Custom Theme Options: Some themes might have their own separate options panel, distinct from the WordPress Customizer. These panels often provide more detailed customization options.
• Live Preview Feature: Many themes offer a live preview feature within their options panel, allowing you to see the changes in real time as you adjust the colors.

Where to Find These Options in Your WordPress Dashboard

• Accessing the Customizer: For themes integrated with the WordPress Customizer, navigate to ‘Appearance’ > ‘Customize’. Within the Customizer, look for sections labeled ‘Colors’, ‘Typography’, or similar.
• Theme’s Own Panel: If your theme has its own options panel, you can usually access it directly from the WordPress dashboard. Look for a theme-specific menu item in your dashboard, often named after your theme or labeled as ‘Theme Options’ or ‘Theme Settings’.
• Exploring the Options: Within the theme options, navigate to the settings. The exact location and naming of these settings can vary, but they are typically found under general color settings or typography settings.
• Making the Changes: Once you’ve located the options, use the provided picker or enter the code for your desired link color. Be sure to save or publish your changes once you are satisfied.

Using theme options to change link color WordPress is ideal for those who prefer a straightforward approach without the need for coding. This method ensures that your changes are consistent with the overall design of your theme and are easy to implement for users of all skill levels.

Method 4: Page Builders (Individual)

Page builders offer an intuitive and flexible way to design web pages in WordPress, including the ability to customize link colors on individual pages. Many popular page builders have built-in tools for this purpose, allowing you to tailor the appearance of links without touching a single line of code.

Using Popular Page Builders 

Most leading page builders like Elementor, Beaver Builder, and Divi come with easy-to-use visual editing tools for styling elements, including text and links. Here’s how you can change link colors using these page builders:

Step-by-Step Instructions for a Few Common Page Builders

• Elementor:
  • Open the page with Elementor by clicking ‘Edit with Elementor’.
  • Select the text element containing the link.
  • In the Style tab, look for ‘Text Color’ options under the ‘Typography’ section.
  • Choose your desired hue for the link.
• Beaver Builder:
  • Launch the page in Beaver Builder by clicking ‘Page Builder’.
  • Click on the module that contains your link.
  • Navigate to the ‘Style’ tab and find the link color options.
  • Adjust the hue as needed.
• Divi:
  • Edit the page with the Divi Builder.
  • Click on the module that includes your link.
  • Under the ‘Design’ tab, look for ‘Link’ options.
  • Select the color for your link from the picker.
• WPBakery Page Builder:
  • Open the page in WPBakery Page Builder mode.
  • Click on the pencil icon to edit the text block containing your link.
  • In the ‘General’ tab, use the ‘Color’ option to change the link color.
  • Apply the changes.

Tips for When WordPress Link Color Not Changing:

• Consistency: While page builders offer flexibility in styling, it’s important to maintain consistency in link colors across your site for a cohesive look and feel.
• Preview and Save: Utilize the preview option to see how the hue looks in the context of your page. Once satisfied, don’t forget to save or publish your changes.

Page builders are an excellent choice for users who want detailed control over their page design, including link colors, without the complexity of coding. Each page builder has its unique interface and styling options, but they all provide an accessible way to customize link appearances on individual pages.

Method 5: Using Gutenberg (Individual)

Now, with the recent WordPress developments, web design has become a more unified experience in WordPress. The TinyMCE Editor is now replaced by a Gutenberg Editor, where design happens by dragging and dropping pre-built content blocks. Both pages and posts can now be edited via the same editor.

To change the link color with Guttenberg, follow these steps: 

• Open a post/page with Gutenberg and select some text. Add a link to it with the hyperlink icon.
• With the link text selected, click on the dropdown arrow next to the link icon. From here, select the ‘Text Color’ option.

• That opens WordPress’s color picker with which you can set a custom color for the selected piece of text.

• Click on the ‘Update’ button at the top-right.

Best Practices for Choosing Link Colors

When choosing hues for your website, focus on enhancing usability, accessibility, and brand consistency.

Accessibility and Readability:

• Contrast: Ensure high contrast between the link color, background, and surrounding text for readability and accessibility.
• Color Blindness: Choose hues that are distinguishable to those with color blindness, avoiding problematic combinations like red/green.
• Size and Style: Use underlines or bold styles to make links more noticeable.

Brand Identity:

• Brand Palette: Use colors from your brand’s palette to maintain consistency and reinforce brand recognition.
• Subtle vs. Bold: Select link colors that match your brand’s personality, whether they blend subtly or stand out boldly.

User Engagement:

• A/B Testing: Test different hues to determine which perform better for click-through rates and engagement.
• User Feedback: Collect user opinions on link colors, ensuring they are effective from a user perspective.
• Contextual Suitability: Adapt to different site areas for effectiveness.

Additional Considerations:

• Hover and Active States: Differentiate these states with color changes or underlines for visual feedback.
• Consistency Across Devices: Ensure link colors and styles are consistent on all devices.

By following these practices, you can choose link colors that are visually appealing and functional, making navigation intuitive while reflecting your brand’s identity.

Conclusion

Customizing hyperlink colors in WordPress effectively enhances your website’s aesthetics and usability. Your choice of customization method, be it the WordPress Customizer, custom CSS, theme-specific options, or page builders, should align with your coding comfort, theme features, and desired customization level. 

While aesthetics are important, prioritizing link distinguishability and accessibility is crucial. Consistently aligning colors with your brand and focusing on readability ensures an engaging and cohesive website. Adhering to best practices in color selection can significantly impact your site’s user experience and online presence.