Do you place bold text inside links in Markdown?
When making a link bold in Markdown, the position of the bold formatting matters. Even though both approaches render visually similar, only one preserves proper semantics, accessibility, and consistent styling.
❌ Avoid wrapping the link with bold formatting
Markdown example:
**[Read more about our pricing](/pricing)**This results in less ideal HTML:
<strong><a href="/pricing">Read more about our pricing</a></strong>Figure: Bad example - While it may look the same, the bold is no longer part of the link element, which can cause inconsistencies and reduces semantic clarity
✅ Place the bold formatting inside the link syntax
This ensures:
- The entire link is both bold and clickable
- Correct semantic HTML structure
- Better accessibility for screen readers
- Predictable styling across Markdown renderers
Markdown example:
[**Read more about our pricing**](/pricing)HTML output:
<a href="/pricing"><strong>Read more about our pricing</strong></a>Figure: Good example - Cleaner HTML, better accessibility, and more consistent styling across your design system
If text is both bold and a link, the bold should live inside the link syntax, not the other way around.
