diff --git a/IPython/html/widgets/__init__.py b/IPython/html/widgets/__init__.py
index 0a5c7cc..293c54f 100644
--- a/IPython/html/widgets/__init__.py
+++ b/IPython/html/widgets/__init__.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ from .widget_selection import RadioButtons, ToggleButtons, Dropdown, Select
 from .widget_selectioncontainer import Tab, Accordion
 from .widget_string import HTML, Latex, Text, Textarea
 from .interaction import interact, interactive, fixed, interact_manual
-from .widget_link import Link, link, DirectionalLink, dlink
+from .widget_link import Link, link, DirectionalLink, directional_link, dlink
 
 # Deprecated classes
 from .widget_bool import CheckboxWidget, ToggleButtonWidget
diff --git a/IPython/html/widgets/widget_link.py b/IPython/html/widgets/widget_link.py
index d38c116..9ee17fa 100644
--- a/IPython/html/widgets/widget_link.py
+++ b/IPython/html/widgets/widget_link.py
@@ -2,31 +2,47 @@
 
 Propagate changes between widgets on the javascript side
 """
-#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-# Copyright (c) 2014, the IPython Development Team.
-#
+
+# Copyright (c) IPython Development Team.
 # Distributed under the terms of the Modified BSD License.
-#
-# The full license is in the file COPYING.txt, distributed with this software.
-#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-# Imports
-#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 from .widget import Widget
-from IPython.utils.traitlets import Unicode, Tuple, Any
+from IPython.testing.skipdoctest import skip_doctest
+from IPython.utils.traitlets import Unicode, Tuple, List,Instance, TraitError
 
-#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-# Classes
-#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+class WidgetTraitTuple(Tuple):
+    """Traitlet for validating a single (Widget, 'trait_name') pair"""
+    
+    def __init__(self, **kwargs):
+        super(WidgetTraitTuple, self).__init__(Instance(Widget), Unicode, **kwargs)
+    
+    def validate_elements(self, obj, value):
+        value = super(WidgetTraitTuple, self).validate_elements(obj, value)
+        widget, trait_name = value
+        trait = widget.traits().get(trait_name)
+        trait_repr = "%s.%s" % (widget.__class__.__name__, trait_name)
+        # Can't raise TraitError because the parent will swallow the message
+        # and throw it away in a new, less informative TraitError
+        if trait is None:
+            raise TypeError("No such trait: %s" % trait_repr)
+        elif not trait.get_metadata('sync'):
+            raise TypeError("%s cannot be synced" % trait_repr)
+        
+        return value
 
 
 class Link(Widget):
-    """Link Widget"""
+    """Link Widget
+    
+    one trait:
+    widgets, a list of (widget, 'trait_name') tuples which should be linked in the frontend.
+    """
     _model_name = Unicode('LinkModel', sync=True)
-    widgets = Tuple(sync=True, allow_none=False)
+    widgets = List(WidgetTraitTuple, sync=True)
 
-    def __init__(self, widgets=(), **kwargs):
+    def __init__(self, widgets, **kwargs):
+        if len(widgets) < 2:
+            raise TypeError("Require at least two widgets to link")
         kwargs['widgets'] = widgets
         super(Link, self).__init__(**kwargs)
 
@@ -35,19 +51,39 @@ class Link(Widget):
         self.close()
 
 
+@skip_doctest
 def link(*args):
+    """Link traits from different widgets together on the frontend so they remain in sync.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    *args : two or more (Widget, 'trait_name') tuples that should be kept in sync.
+
+    Examples
+    --------
+
+    >>> c = link((widget1, 'value'), (widget2, 'value'), (widget3, 'value'))
+    """
     return Link(widgets=args)
 
 
 class DirectionalLink(Widget):
-    """Directional Link Widget"""
+    """A directional link
+    
+    source: a (Widget, 'trait_name') tuple for the source trait
+    targets: one or more (Widget, 'trait_name') tuples that should be updated
+    when the source trait changes.
+    """
     _model_name = Unicode('DirectionalLinkModel', sync=True)
-    targets = Any(sync=True)
-    source = Tuple(sync=True)
+    targets = List(WidgetTraitTuple, sync=True)
+    source = WidgetTraitTuple(sync=True)
 
     # Does not quite behave like other widgets but reproduces
     # the behavior of IPython.utils.traitlets.directional_link
-    def __init__(self, source, targets=(), **kwargs):
+    def __init__(self, source, targets, **kwargs):
+        if len(targets) < 1:
+            raise TypeError("Require at least two widgets to link")
+        
         kwargs['source'] = source
         kwargs['targets'] = targets
         super(DirectionalLink, self).__init__(**kwargs)
@@ -56,6 +92,21 @@ class DirectionalLink(Widget):
     def unlink(self):
         self.close()
 
+@skip_doctest
+def directional_link(source, *targets):
+    """Link the trait of a source widget with traits of target widgets in the frontend.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    source : a (Widget, 'trait_name') tuple for the source trait
+    *targets : one or more (Widget, 'trait_name') tuples that should be updated
+    when the source trait changes.
+
+    Examples
+    --------
+
+    >>> c = dlink((src_widget, 'value'), (tgt_widget1, 'value'), (tgt_widget2, 'value'))
+    """
+    return DirectionalLink(source=source, targets=targets)
 
-def dlink(source, *targets):
-    return DirectionalLink(source, targets)
+dlink = directional_link