In web design, a small icon or image on a web page that, when clicked, takes the user to another web page is called what?

Introduction / Context:
Navigation is a fundamental concept in web design. Users click text links, buttons, icons, and images to move between pages or sites. In HTML, these clickable elements are usually implemented using the anchor element with an href attribute. Whether the visible part is text or an image, the underlying concept is the same: a hyperlink. This question tests recognition of the proper term for an image that links to another page.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• A web page contains an icon or small image.
• When the user clicks the image, the browser navigates to another page or resource.
• In HTML, this is typically coded as <a href="target"><img src="icon.png"></a>.
• The term we want is the general term for a clickable link, not the underlying URL string or plugin.

Concept / Approach:
A hyperlink is a reference in a hypertext document that points to another document or resource. It may appear as underlined text, a button, or an image. The HTML anchor tag a with an href attribute defines the hyperlink. A URL Uniform Resource Locator is the address that the link points to, but the clickable interface on the page is the hyperlink. A plugin is separate software that extends the browser, not the link itself. Therefore, the correct term for an icon that navigates elsewhere when clicked is hyperlink.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify that the described object is clickable and leads to another web page. Step 2: Connect this behaviour to the HTML a tag, which implements links from one document to another. Step 3: Recall that such clickable references are called hyperlinks in web terminology. Step 4: Compare this with the concept of a URL, which is the address string, not the interactive element itself. Step 5: Choose hyperlink as the option that correctly names the clickable icon or image.

Verification / Alternative check:
In browser developer tools, when you inspect an image that acts as a link, you will see it wrapped in an a element. Specifications and books describe these a elements as hyperlinks. They treat the embedded image merely as the content of the link, not as a separate type of navigation widget. This supports the use of the term hyperlink for any clickable link, whether it is text based or image based.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option a, URL, refers to the address such as https://example.com, which may be the target of the hyperlink but is not the clickable control itself. Option b, plugin, refers to software modules like Flash or Java plugins that extend browser capabilities; they are not the same as simple links. Option d, none of the mentioned, is incorrect because hyperlink is a standard and widely accepted term in web development.

Common Pitfalls:
Beginners sometimes call everything a URL, including links and addresses, which can confuse discussions about design and implementation. Using precise terms like hyperlink for the clickable element and URL for the address helps avoid ambiguity when working with designers and developers.

Final Answer:
An icon or image on a web page that links to another page is called a hyperlink.