What is Lynx?
Author: Domeny.ForSale editorial team Published
In brief: Lynx is a text-based web browser used in a terminal, mainly via the keyboard. It displays text and links instead of a graphical page layout, but it does not support JavaScript, so many modern web applications do not work in it. It is useful for reading simple pages, working on a server and checking what remains of a website without its visual layer. In English, “lynx” also refers to the wild cat; in a technology context, it usually means the browser.
How does the Lynx browser work?
Lynx runs in a terminal, a text-based interface used to execute commands. It does not need a graphical window: it retrieves a page and presents its content as text that you can navigate using the keyboard.
The browser interprets HTML—the language that describes a page’s structure, including headings, paragraphs, links and forms. It does not reproduce the appearance created by CSS, the rules governing colours, layout and other presentation elements. Images are not displayed as they are in Chrome or Firefox; depending on their markup, descriptions or links may appear instead.
The most important difference is the lack of JavaScript support. JavaScript is the code responsible for many interactive website features. If a website delivers content only after scripts have run, Lynx may display a blank page, a message or just the navigation skeleton. Pages with text directly in their HTML are usually much more suitable for browsing.
What can Lynx be useful for?
Lynx is a practical tool when text is enough and there is no need to launch a full graphical browser. It can be used while working remotely over SSH—a protocol that lets you securely connect to another computer’s terminal, such as a server’s.
Typical uses include:
- reading documentation and simple information pages without a graphical environment;
- checking the content order and clarity of links on your own website;
- displaying a text version of a page in the terminal;
- diagnosing whether important content is available without JavaScript.
Example: you run a website with instructions for configuring email. It looks correct in a regular browser, but when you open it in Lynx, you see several “click here” links without clear context. That is a sign that you should replace them with descriptions such as “Email settings in Thunderbird”. This change helps people understand the purpose of a link outside a text-based browser too.
However, Lynx is not a complete accessibility auditing tool or a screen reader simulator. A screen reader conveys information about structure and interface elements to the user differently from a text-based browser. A Lynx test result should therefore be treated as an additional observation, not confirmation that a website meets accessibility requirements.
How do you launch Lynx and open a page?
The installation method depends on your operating system. On Debian or Ubuntu, you can usually install the package with this command:
sudo apt install lynx
On macOS, if you already have the Homebrew package manager, the usual command is:
brew install lynx
Check package availability and the current version in your distribution’s official repository or the documentation for the package manager you use. Installation on a company computer may require an administrator’s approval.
After installation, enter lynx to launch the program, or supply an address directly:
lynx https://example.org
The address example.org is used here as an example—replace it with the address of the page you want to check. In a typical configuration, the up and down arrow keys select links, the right arrow opens the selected link, and the left arrow returns to the previous page. The G key lets you enter an address, Q quits the program, and H displays help.
When is it better to use another tool?
Lynx is usually unsuitable for online banking, complex online shops, video conferencing or office applications. The problem is not just the lack of graphics, but also these services’ reliance on scripts and interactive login mechanisms. Even a supported HTML form does not guarantee that the entire process will work.
If you only want to check a server’s response or download a file, curl—a command-line tool for transferring data—may be a simpler choice. Lynx has an advantage when you want to read a document and follow links, rather than analyse a raw response.
A text-based interface does not provide anonymity or remove the risks associated with suspicious websites. Do not ignore HTTPS certificate warnings, and do not enter login details on a page whose address you have not verified.
How can you check your own website using Lynx?
Open one important page: instructions, an offer or contact information. Check whether you can read the main content, recognise the purpose of links and reach the information you need without guessing. If anything is missing, establish whether the content exists in the HTML or appears only after JavaScript runs.
You can also output a page’s text using the command lynx -dump https://example.org. The result is suitable for a quick review, but it is neither a snapshot of the page’s appearance nor a complete technical report.
To start, test the page containing your most important customer instructions in Lynx. Missing steps or unclear links will give you a concrete list of things to improve.
See also: What is Java?
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