A link type is a defined category of links which has a distinctive anchor appearance, link attributes, access rights, or other characteristics. Systems such as IBIS, designed for specific purposes, have predefined types. In other systems, types may be defined by the author.
The utility of this ability may be easily illustrated. If this current hypertext implemented link types, we might choose to display anchors in different colours for each of the following: bibliography, definition, argument, example, and so on. Thus, on viewing the anchor, the reader would gain immediate information upon which they could base the decision of whether or not to follow the link.
Such a scheme may become difficult to manage, and adds to the reader's cognitive overhead.