Ever clicked a link on your website only to land on an error page? Broken links can frustrate visitors, hurt your site’s credibility, and even impact search rankings. No one wants their hard work undermined by a simple oversight.
Knowing how to check for broken links in WordPress is essential for maintaining a smooth, professional website. In this article, we’ll walk you through easy steps, useful tools, and practical tips to quickly find and fix broken links—keeping your WordPress site healthy and user-friendly.
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How to Check for Broken Links in WordPress: The Complete Guide
Broken links (also called dead links) are links on your website that no longer work. They often lead visitors to error pages, damaging user experience and impacting your SEO rankings. If you’re running a WordPress site, regularly checking for broken links is essential to maintain your site’s health and keep both your visitors and search engines happy.
This guide covers everything you need to know about spotting and fixing broken links in WordPress. Let’s walk step-by-step through proven methods, best practices, and crucial tips for tackling dead links with confidence.
Why Broken Links Matter
Before we dive into how to check for dead links, it helps to understand why they matter. Here are some reasons:
- User Experience: Broken links frustrate visitors and may cause them to leave your site quickly.
- SEO Impact: Search engines consider broken links as a sign of poor site maintenance which can affect your rankings.
- Professionalism: Keeping your links updated builds trust and shows attention to detail.
- Link Equity Loss: Outdated or broken internal links may waste link authority, diminishing the SEO value of your content.
How to Check for Broken Links in WordPress
There are several ways you can scan your site for broken links. Here are the primary methods:
1. Using a WordPress Plugin
WordPress offers several plugins that automatically scan your content for broken links. The most popular (and beginner-friendly) option is the Broken Link Checker plugin.
Steps to Use a Plugin
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Install and Activate the Plugin:
- Go to your WordPress Dashboard.
- Navigate to “Plugins” > “Add New.”
- Search for “Broken Link Checker.”
- Click “Install” and then “Activate.”
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Configure the Plugin:
- After activation, find the Broken Link Checker settings, usually under “Tools” or “Settings.”
- Set how often you want the plugin to check your site (e.g., every 72 hours).
- Customize notifications (e.g., receive email alerts when dead links are found).
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Initiate a Scan:
- Start a full scan of your site.
- Let the plugin crawl pages, posts, comments, and even custom fields.
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Review and Fix Broken Links:
- View the list of detected broken links.
- Edit, update, or remove offending links right from the plugin dashboard.
- Rescan periodically to keep your site healthy.
Benefits
- Saves time with automated checks.
- Fix links right from your WordPress admin area.
- Can check links in posts, pages, comments, custom fields, and blogroll.
Challenges
- Resource-intensive plugins can use server resources, potentially slowing down larger sites.
- Consider deactivating the plugin between scans for peak performance.
2. Using Online Broken Link Checking Tools
If you’d rather avoid installing plugins, several web-based tools will scan your site for dead links. Popular options include tools like Ahrefs, Screaming Frog, and Dead Link Checker.
Steps to Use an Online Tool
- Enter your website URL into the tool.
- Start a scan.
- Wait as the tool crawls your site and identifies broken links.
- Download or review the report showing broken links, their locations, and error types.
- Manually update these links within your WordPress site.
Benefits
- No plugin installation means no impact on your site’s resources.
- Some tools check for additional site problems or provide more in-depth analysis.
Challenges
- Require manual fixing of links within your WordPress dashboard.
- Usually less convenient for ongoing, automated checks.
3. Manual Checking for Smaller Sites
If your WordPress site is small, you can manually review and test links as you update your content.
Steps for Manual Checks
- Open each post or page in WordPress.
- Click on every link, checking that they lead to the intended destination.
- Update or remove any that lead to error pages.
Benefits
- Complete control and review of content.
- No extra tools required.
Challenges
- Time-consuming as your site grows.
- Risk of accidentally missing some links.
Best Practices for Managing Broken Links
To make managing and fixing broken links as smooth as possible, keep these best practices in mind:
- Schedule Regular Checks: Whether you use plugins or online tools, check your links every few weeks or months, depending on how often your site changes.
- Monitor Outbound and Internal Links: Dead outbound links are common, but broken internal links are especially harmful for SEO and navigation.
- Update or Redirect: When a page is permanently moved, use a 301 redirect to send users to the new page.
- Remove Outdated Content: If you consistently have dead links to a resource that’s no longer relevant or available, consider removing or updating the surrounding content.
- Record Keeping: Keep a simple log or spreadsheet of fixed links and recurring problems for future reference.
Practical Tips and Advice
- Use Lightweight Plugins: If performance is a concern, choose link scanning plugins that offer selective scans or can be deactivated when not in use.
- Stagger Scanning: For large or heavily trafficked sites, schedule scans during off-peak times to minimize impact.
- Test After Major Changes: Always perform a link check after a content import, redesign, or migration.
- Combine Methods: For thoroughness, occasionally pair plugin use with an external tool for a second opinion.
- Educate Contributors: If you have multiple authors, share guidelines on embedding and checking links during the content creation process.
Dealing with the Cost Factor
Most reliable broken link checking plugins are free, especially for small or personal sites. Premium plugins and advanced web-based tools may charge a fee, often starting at a few dollars per month. Costs usually only become an issue if:
- You want advanced reporting and automation.
- You run multiple high-traffic sites.
- You prefer managed services (that check and fix links for you).
Always assess your current needs and start with free options. Upgrade only if your site or business demands it.
Challenges and What to Watch Out For
- Performance Overhead: Keep an eye on your site’s performance during scans, especially if you use shared hosting.
- False Positives: Some broken link checkers may incorrectly flag working links as broken due to temporary outages or blocks.
- Changed URLs: If you regularly change URL structures, update your internal links to avoid breakage.
- Content Updates: Frequent changes by multiple contributors may increase dead links — regular checks become even more important.
Summary
Checking for broken links in your WordPress site is crucial for user experience, SEO, and your website’s credibility. By using plugins like Broken Link Checker, online tools, or manual inspections, you can easily stay on top of dead links. Make it a routine to scan, fix, and keep records—your visitors (and Google) will thank you.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What causes broken links on a WordPress site?
Broken links can happen when pages are deleted, URLs are changed, websites go offline, or external sites move or remove their content. Even small typos in URLs can lead to dead links.
2. How often should I check my site for broken links?
For most sites, a monthly check is sufficient. If you update content frequently or have many contributors, consider checking every two weeks.
3. Will using a broken link checking plugin slow down my site?
Some plugins may use significant server resources during scans, especially on large sites. It’s best to schedule scans during low-traffic periods and deactivate or uninstall the plugin between checks when not needed.
4. Are there free ways to check for broken links?
Yes! Many plugins and online tools offer free versions for scanning and identifying dead links. For small sites, these are usually enough to catch most problems.
5. Is it better to update broken links or just remove them?
Whenever possible, update broken links to point to relevant, working content. If there’s no replacement, removing the link or the outdated reference is the best solution to maintain site quality.
By staying proactive and using the right tools, you’ll keep your visitors happy and your WordPress website running smoothly and professionally.