diff --git a/src/gen/plug/docgen/textdoc.py b/src/gen/plug/docgen/textdoc.py
index 96245aa0c..c7b57f5bc 100644
--- a/src/gen/plug/docgen/textdoc.py
+++ b/src/gen/plug/docgen/textdoc.py
@@ -249,3 +249,32 @@ class TextDoc(object):
         @param alt: an alternative text to use. Useful for eg html reports
         """
         raise NotImplementedError
+    
+    def start_link(self, link):
+        """
+        Start a link section. This defaults to underlining.
+        @param link: should be an item that makes sense in this
+                     docgen type, if it implements linking.
+        """
+        self.start_underline()
+
+    def stop_link(self):
+        """
+        Stop the link section. Defaults to stoppping the underlining
+        for docgen types that don't support links.
+        """
+        self.stop_underline()
+
+    def start_underline(self):
+        """
+        Start a section of underlining. This passes without error
+        so that docgen types are not required to have this.
+        """
+        pass
+
+    def stop_underline(self):
+        """
+        Stops a section of underlining. This passes without error
+        so that docgen ntypes are not required to have this.
+        """
+        pass
diff --git a/src/plugins/docgen/HtmlDoc.py b/src/plugins/docgen/HtmlDoc.py
index ecc8e9a94..49bc96690 100644
--- a/src/plugins/docgen/HtmlDoc.py
+++ b/src/plugins/docgen/HtmlDoc.py
@@ -541,3 +541,27 @@ class HtmlDoc(BaseDoc, TextDoc):
         overwrite base method so page break has no effect
         """
         pass
+
+    def start_link(self, link):
+        """
+        Starts a section to add a link. Link is a URI.
+        """
+        self.htmllist += [Html('a', href=link)]
+
+    def stop_link(self):
+        """
+        Stop a section of a link.
+        """
+        self.__reduce_list()
+
+    def start_underline(self):
+        """
+        Starts a section of underlining.
+        """
+        self.htmllist += [Html('u')]
+
+    def stop_underline(self):
+        """
+        Stop underlining.
+        """
+        self.__reduce_list()