Don’t surprise users. Add a lock icon/emoji and supporting text, such as “Sign-in required” to clearly indicate that the link leads to a password-protected page.
Examples:
View the report
Open the client portal
❌ Figure: Bad example - Can't tell these are protected. Users will be surprised by a password prompt
🔐 View the report - sign-in required
🔒 Open the client portal (password required)
✅ Figure: Good example - Clear indication these are protected