Autojump

Debuting in Ocarina of Time, the Autojump is an ability used by Link in all 3D Legend of Zelda games. As the name implies, unlike jumping in The Adventure of Link and games featuring the Roc's Feather or Roc's Cape, this is a mechanic that allows Link to jump automatically. This ability is used in two situations.

Link can perform an Autojump when he runs off the edge of a platform. This can be done in order for him to leap over a gap to another surface, but the distance he can jump is limited. How far Link leaps is dependent on his momentum when he reaches an edge to jump from. When leaping from a high place to a considerably lower area, Link may roll upon landing to avoid taking fall damage, though he will not do this if if the fall is too great. In Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, Link would sometimes perform a dive when Autojumping into waters below him.

If a ledge is low enough for him to interact with it, Link will also Autojump when moving against an elevated platform. He will grab onto its edge and climb onto its surface, or if the elevation is low enough, he will simply hop onto the platform. The Dash ability used in Skyward Sword allows Link to jump to even higher ledges than he could without it. In Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks, Link’s Autojump is limited to leaping from ledges; he cannot jump to climb onto higher platforms.

Because the Autojump only caters to the farthest possible distance Link can comfortably jump under normal conditions, distances further than what can be reached with the Autojump must be reached using a certain item, such as a Hookshot, that extends Link's jump distance. Moving a block or hitting a switch to form another platform are techniques that often bridge the gap between a distance way out of Link's Autojump range.

Trivia
The Autojump was created in order to streamline gameplay. As The Legend of Zelda is not a platform game, Shigeru Miyamoto, creator of The Legend of Zelda, wanted to remove the need for pressing a button to jump. Early in Ocarina of Time's development, pressing a button was required for Link to jump, but making jumping automatic simplified the controls and shifted focus to other gameplay elements. For this reason, while being ridden, Epona can also Autojump; when she is moving toward them quickly enough, she will leap over certain obstacles.