The color of visited links is primarily determined by the website's design, using Cascading Style Sheets (CSS). However, how you perceive or influence this color can depend on the context and browser settings.
Here's how visited link colors typically work and a specific example:
Web developers use CSS to define the appearance of links. The :visited pseudo-class is specifically used to style links that the user has previously clicked. For example, a website might have a CSS rule like a:visited { color: purple; } to make visited links purple.
Browsers also have default colors for links if a website doesn't specify them, commonly:
- Unvisited: Blue
- Visited: Purple
Due to privacy concerns, browsers limit the CSS properties that can be changed using :visited. Generally, only the color property can be reliably modified by a website or user stylesheet.
Changing Visited Link Appearance: Specific Examples
While you usually can't change the color to any arbitrary color on every site without browser extensions, you can sometimes enhance the visibility of the default visited color or see it distinguished in specific environments.
On Google Search Pages
One example where you can change settings to better distinguish visited links is on the Google search results page:
- Enable Dark Theme: When on a Google search page, select the Quick Settings gear icon found to the right and toggle Dark Theme On. The reference notes that The unvisited links display in blue and visited links display in purple, the same default colors that are used in Chrome but are easy to tell apart in the Dark theme.
- This action doesn't change the visited link color from purple to something else, but by changing the background, it makes the standard purple visited link color more distinct and easier to identify compared to blue unvisited links.
General Web Browsing
For most websites, the color is set by the site's developer. If you want to change the visited link color globally across all websites to a specific color (e.g., red, green), you would typically need to use:
- Browser Extensions: Many browser extensions are available that allow users to apply custom CSS rules to all websites they visit, including changing the color of visited links.
- User Stylesheets: Some browsers or extensions support user stylesheets, which are custom CSS files that override website styles.
In summary, while websites control the primary appearance, you can improve the visibility of default visited link colors in specific interfaces like Google Search with Dark Theme, or use browser tools for more general changes.
| Link State | Typical Default Color | How Controlled Normally | Influence Example (Google Search) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unvisited | Blue | Website CSS / Browser | Appears blue in both themes |
| Visited | Purple | Website CSS / Browser | Appears purple, more visible in Dark Theme |
Understanding these mechanisms helps clarify how and where you can influence the color of links you've already clicked.
