diff --git a/cypress/e2e/link-accessibility.cy.js b/cypress/e2e/link-accessibility.cy.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6723537c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cypress/e2e/link-accessibility.cy.js
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+describe('link interaction hierarchy', () => {
+    it('keeps prose links identifiable while navigation and CTAs stay quiet', () => {
+        cy.viewport(1280, 900)
+        cy.visit('/about')
+
+        cy.get('a[href="mailto:hello@openadapt.ai"]')
+            .should('be.visible')
+            .and('have.css', 'text-decoration-line', 'underline')
+            .focus()
+            .should('have.css', 'outline-style', 'solid')
+            .and('have.css', 'outline-width', '3px')
+
+        cy.get('header a').first()
+            .should('be.visible')
+            .and('have.css', 'text-decoration-line', 'none')
+
+        cy.get('a.btn-ink').first()
+            .should('be.visible')
+            .and('have.css', 'text-decoration-line', 'none')
+    })
+
+    it('retains the inline-link affordance without horizontal overflow on mobile', () => {
+        cy.viewport(375, 667)
+        cy.visit('/about')
+
+        cy.get('a[href="mailto:hello@openadapt.ai"]')
+            .scrollIntoView()
+            .should('be.visible')
+            .and('have.css', 'text-decoration-line', 'underline')
+
+        cy.document().then((document) => {
+            expect(document.documentElement.scrollWidth).to.be.at.most(375)
+        })
+    })
+})
diff --git a/styles/globals.css b/styles/globals.css
index f54b112f..588be2db 100644
--- a/styles/globals.css
+++ b/styles/globals.css
@@ -14,6 +14,11 @@
     --ink-2: #4c523f; /* secondary text */
     --ink-3: #5a6050; /* tertiary / captions */
     --accent: #3e6b4f; /* surgical green — labels, pills, links */
+    --accent-hover: #2f5340;
+    --link-visited: #76512f;
+    --link-underline: rgba(62, 107, 79, 0.58);
+    --link-visited-underline: rgba(118, 81, 47, 0.58);
+    --focus-ring: #a74612;
     --inset-bg: #14171a; /* dark terminal insets */
     --inset-text: #d9dee6;
     --inset-ok: #86d9a8; /* phosphor green */
@@ -60,13 +65,51 @@ h4 {
 a {
     color: var(--accent);
     text-decoration: none;
+    text-decoration-thickness: 0.08em;
+    text-underline-offset: 0.18em;
+    transition: color 0.16s ease, text-decoration-color 0.16s ease;
 }
 
 a:hover {
-    color: #2f5340;
+    color: var(--accent-hover);
     text-decoration: underline;
 }
 
+/* Keep navigation, cards, and buttons visually quiet. Links embedded in prose
+   or data stay identifiable without requiring a hover interaction. */
+main :where(p, li, dd, blockquote, figcaption, td) a:not(.btn-ink):not(.btn-ghost-ink) {
+    text-decoration-line: underline;
+    text-decoration-color: var(--link-underline);
+    text-decoration-thickness: 0.08em;
+    text-underline-offset: 0.2em;
+}
+
+main :where(p, li, dd, blockquote, figcaption, td) a:not(.btn-ink):not(.btn-ghost-ink):visited {
+    color: var(--link-visited);
+    text-decoration-color: var(--link-visited-underline);
+}
+
+main :where(p, li, dd, blockquote, figcaption, td) a:not(.btn-ink):not(.btn-ghost-ink):hover {
+    color: var(--accent-hover);
+    text-decoration-color: currentColor;
+    text-decoration-thickness: 0.12em;
+}
+
+main :where(p, li, dd, blockquote, figcaption, td) a:not(.btn-ink):not(.btn-ghost-ink):active {
+    color: var(--ink);
+    text-decoration-color: currentColor;
+}
+
+:where(a, button, input, textarea, select, summary, [tabindex]):focus-visible {
+    outline: 3px solid var(--focus-ring) !important;
+    outline-offset: 3px !important;
+}
+
+a:focus-visible {
+    text-decoration-color: currentColor !important;
+    text-decoration-thickness: 0.12em;
+}
+
 /* TODO: figure out why this doesn't work */
 html body a,
 html body a *,
@@ -115,6 +158,12 @@ button:not(:disabled),
     text-decoration: none;
 }
 
+.btn-ink:active {
+    background: var(--ink);
+    border-color: var(--ink);
+    transform: translateY(1px);
+}
+
 /* Ghost button: ink outline pill */
 .btn-ghost-ink {
     display: inline-block;
@@ -135,6 +184,11 @@ button:not(:disabled),
     text-decoration: none;
 }
 
+.btn-ghost-ink:active {
+    background: rgba(35, 40, 31, 0.11);
+    transform: translateY(1px);
+}
+
 .fade-in {
     animation: fadeInAnimation 1s forwards;
 }
@@ -160,3 +214,18 @@ button:not(:disabled),
         opacity: 0;
     }
 }
+
+@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
+    html {
+        scroll-behavior: auto !important;
+    }
+
+    *,
+    *::before,
+    *::after {
+        scroll-behavior: auto !important;
+        animation-duration: 0.01ms !important;
+        animation-iteration-count: 1 !important;
+        transition-duration: 0.01ms !important;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/tests/linkStyles.test.js b/tests/linkStyles.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..27b67b5a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/linkStyles.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+const assert = require('node:assert/strict')
+const fs = require('node:fs')
+const path = require('node:path')
+const test = require('node:test')
+
+const css = fs.readFileSync(
+    path.join(process.cwd(), 'styles', 'globals.css'),
+    'utf8'
+)
+
+function luminance(hex) {
+    const channels = [1, 3, 5].map((offset) =>
+        Number.parseInt(hex.slice(offset, offset + 2), 16) / 255
+    )
+    const linear = channels.map((channel) =>
+        channel <= 0.04045
+            ? channel / 12.92
+            : ((channel + 0.055) / 1.055) ** 2.4
+    )
+    return 0.2126 * linear[0] + 0.7152 * linear[1] + 0.0722 * linear[2]
+}
+
+function contrast(foreground, background) {
+    const values = [luminance(foreground), luminance(background)].sort(
+        (left, right) => right - left
+    )
+    return (values[0] + 0.05) / (values[1] + 0.05)
+}
+
+test('prose links use persistent non-color affordances without flattening UI links', () => {
+    assert.match(
+        css,
+        /main :where\(p, li, dd, blockquote, figcaption, td\) a:not\(\.btn-ink\):not\(\.btn-ghost-ink\)/
+    )
+    assert.match(css, /text-decoration-line: underline/)
+    assert.match(css, /text-underline-offset: 0\.2em/)
+    assert.match(css, /:visited/)
+    assert.match(css, /\.btn-ink:hover[\s\S]*text-decoration: none/)
+})
+
+test('keyboard focus and reduced-motion behavior are global interaction contracts', () => {
+    assert.match(css, /:focus-visible[\s\S]*outline: 3px solid var\(--focus-ring\)/)
+    assert.match(css, /@media \(prefers-reduced-motion: reduce\)/)
+    assert.match(css, /scroll-behavior: auto !important/)
+    assert.match(css, /transition-duration: 0\.01ms !important/)
+})
+
+test('link and focus colors retain AA contrast on the paper ground', () => {
+    const ground = '#f2f1ec'
+    for (const color of ['#3e6b4f', '#2f5340', '#76512f', '#a74612']) {
+        assert.ok(
+            contrast(color, ground) >= 4.5,
+            `${color} must retain 4.5:1 contrast on ${ground}`
+        )
+    }
+})