Link text dimension
Link text is the dimension holding the human-readable label a visitor clicked — the words inside the anchor element. In GA4 it is populated by the enhanced-measurement click event as the link_text parameter alongside link_url and link_domain. It is useful for telling apart several links that point to the same destination, but it is empty when the clickable element wraps an image or icon with no text node.
What this means
GA4 enhanced measurement's outbound click event carries link_text, the visible text inside the clicked anchor. The link text dimension surfaces those labels so two buttons pointing at the same URL — say 'Buy now' and 'Get started' — are distinguishable in reports.
This is the field that turns an undifferentiated destination into named, comparable calls-to-action.
Why it can be empty
link_text reads the text content of the clicked element. When the clickable target is an image, an SVG icon, or an element whose label lives in an aria-label rather than a text node, GA4 has no inner text to capture and link_text is blank.
For image or icon links you generally add an explicit event with a descriptive parameter so the label is not lost.
- Populated by enhanced-measurement outbound 'click'
- Distinguishes links sharing one destination URL
- Blank for image/icon links with no text node
How it appears in analytics and logs
A link text value is the anchor's rendered words. A blank link_text on a real click usually means the link contained only an image or icon, so there was no text node to read.
Diagnostic use case
Use link text to separate clicks on visually distinct calls-to-action that share one destination URL, instead of collapsing them under link_url alone.
What WebmasterID can help detect
WebmasterID can log the clicked element's label as a first-party event, so you can attribute clicks to specific CTAs without third-party scripts.
Common mistakes
- Assuming every clicked link yields link_text, including icon links.
- Treating link_text as unique when many links share a label.
- Relying on link_text for same-domain clicks, which are not auto-tracked.
Privacy and accuracy notes
Link text records UI copy, not a person — unless a label embeds personal data, which it should not. WebmasterID records click labels first-party without profiling who clicked.
Related pages
- Link URL dimension: where outbound clicks go
Link URL is the dimension that records the destination of a clicked link. In GA4 it is populated by the click event from enhanced measurement, which fires on outbound links and carries link_url, link_domain, and link_text. It answers 'where did people leave to?', but its automatic scope is limited to links leaving your domain — internal and same-domain clicks need separate handling.
- Link classes dimension
Link classes is the dimension that records the value of a clicked link's class attribute. GA4 enhanced measurement passes it as link_classes on the outbound click event. Because design systems assign consistent classes to button variants, this field lets you group clicks by component type — for example every 'btn-primary' — without rewriting every link. It is empty when the clicked element carries no class attribute.
- The click event and outbound clicks
A click event records that a visitor activated a link or element. The most common analytics use is the outbound click — a click on a link leaving your domain — which a normal page_view can never capture because the destination is another site. This page covers what to record on a click, how outbound detection works, and which properties stay privacy-safe.
- CTA tracking
Attribute clicks to named CTAs first-party.
Sources and verification notes
- Google Analytics Help — [GA4] Enhanced measurement eventsDocuments the click event and its link_text parameter.
Last reviewed 2026-06-24. Facts are checked against primary/official sources where available; uncertain specifics are marked “Data not yet verified” rather than guessed.