A β-D-lactose ligand equipped with an azide handle through a hydrophilic PEG3 spacer. The terminal azide couples to alkynes via copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) or to DBCO and related strained alkynes via copper-free click chemistry, forming stable 1,2,3-triazole linkages. This compound provides a lactose (Galβ1-4Glc) building block for glycoconjugate synthesis and the construction of probes for galactose-recognizing proteins, including galectins and the hepatic asialoglycoprotein receptor; it is a substrate for sialyltransferases and other glycosyltransferases.