A link is three things, not one
A cell that contains a link actually carries three separate pieces of information. Recording them separately is the whole trick:
- The anchor text — the words that are underlined and clickable.
- The surrounding context — the row label, the nearby cells, and the column header (if any).
- The actual destination — the page you land on after you open the link.
Why anchor text alone is not enough
Anchor text is a label written by someone else, at some earlier time. It is not the page, and it is not a promise. A link that says “black size L” can open a page with no black, no size L, or a different item entirely. Inferring the page from the anchor text skips the step that actually matters: opening it.
Anchor text describes the intention of the link. Only the destination describes what is actually there.
Record the three parts separately
Keep three fields in your notes, and never merge them:
- Anchor text: copy it exactly, without editing or shortening it.
- Context: the row label and the neighboring cells that frame the link.
- Destination: the title, domain, and the specific page or variant you actually opened.
What opening changes
Once you open a link, the “visible in the sheet” label is replaced by what the page shows. That is the vermilion layer from the legend: visible after opening. The destination page — not the anchor — becomes the fact you read against.
A worked reading
- Anchor text: “sneaker — white.”
- Context: the row is grouped under a sneaker category heading.
- Destination: the opened page shows a different colorway or a size not listed. That difference is recorded, not ignored.
Reading example — not live data, verification, or a saved record.
Continue your review
See how the four labels fit together in the spreadsheet legend guide, then set re-check rules in the changeable details guide.