\autoref should call sections within the appendix "appendix" not "section"

I assume you're using a class that includes the \chapter command (e.g. book or report). In that case, within the appendix \autoref will refer to chapters as "Appendix", but to sections still as "section" (contrary to the article class, where sections would constitute an "Appendix"). Solution: (EDIT: My first "solution" was very ill-advised) Load cleveref after hyperref and use \cref instead of \autoref. (Yes, the links won't be as pretty as before.)

\documentclass{report}

\usepackage{hyperref}
\usepackage{cleveref}% Load AFTER hyperref!

% \crefname{subappendix}{fairy tale}{fairy tales}

\begin{document}

\chapter{bla}\label{bla}

\section{blubb}\label{blubb}

As shown in \cref{foo} and especially in \cref{bar} \dots

\appendix

\chapter{foo}\label{foo}

\section{bar}\label{bar}

As shown in \cref{bla} and especially in \cref{blubb} \dots

\end{document}

The simplest workaround is to define a new command:

\newcommand{\aref}[1]{\hyperref[#1]{Appendix~\ref*{#1}}}

and use it for appendix sections:

\aref{sec:appendix_section}

The star in \ref* means not to make this reference number into a link since \hyperref[#1]{...} already does so.