Ever clicked a link on your website only to land on an error page? Broken links can frustrate visitors and hurt your site’s search rankings, often without you even realizing it. That’s why finding and fixing them is crucial to keeping your site user-friendly and trustworthy.
In this article, you’ll learn simple, effective ways to discover broken links on your website. We’ll cover step-by-step instructions, helpful tools, and practical tips to ensure your links work flawlessly.
How to Find Broken Links on a Website: A Complete Guide
If you manage a website, keeping it healthy and user-friendly is crucial. One common issue that can harm both user experience and search engine rankings is the presence of broken links. These are links that no longer work—perhaps the page has been removed, the URL changed, or there’s a typo. In this guide, you’ll discover how to find broken links on your website, fix them, and prevent future issues.
Why Broken Links Matter
Broken links can frustrate visitors, lead to loss of trust, and hurt your website’s performance in search engines. When users click a link expecting helpful content and get a “404 Not Found” error instead, they may leave your site. Search engines may also view your site as poorly maintained, potentially lowering your rankings. That’s why regularly checking for and fixing broken links is vital.
Methods to Find Broken Links
There are several ways to hunt down broken links, ranging from manual checks to using specialized tools. Let’s break them down.
1. Manual Checking
You can check links by clicking through your website’s pages yourself. While straightforward, this method is time-consuming and impractical for large websites. Manual checking is best suited for small sites or when you want to double-check priority pages.
Steps:
- Open each web page in your browser.
- Click every link to see if it leads to the correct page.
- Note any errors (e.g., 404 pages, redirects to the wrong place).
Tip: Make a checklist of key pages so you don’t miss any.
2. Browser Extensions
There are browser extensions that can scan a web page for broken links. Once installed, these tools will check each link on the page and highlight any that are not working.
Popular link checker extensions:
- Check My Links (for Chrome)
- Link Checker (for Firefox)
Usage:
- Install the extension.
- Navigate to a page you want to check.
- Run the extension to scan all links instantly.
- Review the highlighted results—broken links are usually marked in red.
Extensions are quick for scanning individual pages but don’t crawl your entire site.
3. Automated Tools
For most website owners, automated tools are the best choice. These tools perform a comprehensive scan across your entire site, identifying and listing all broken links for you.
Here are key aspects to consider with automated tools:
What Automated Tools Do:
- Crawl your website to find all links, both internal (within your site) and external (to other sites).
- Identify broken or dead links by checking the server response for each URL (e.g., if it returns an error like 404 or 500).
- Report the link’s location so you can fix it easily.
Example Features Found in Broken Link Checkers:
- Scan entire websites or focus on specific pages.
- Export results (download a list of broken links).
- Filter results by link type (internal vs. external).
- Some offer automatic scheduling for regular scans.
- Provide recommendations for fixing issues.
Popular Online Tools
Many online tools, including both free and premium options, can check websites for broken links. Some well-known names include:
- Dead Link Checker
- Ahrefs Broken Link Checker
- Dr. Link Check
- Small SEO Tools Link Checker
- Aspose Link Checker
- BrokenLinkCheck
- AtomSEO’s Error404 Checker
- WizardsTool’s Link Checker
- Broken Link Finder
- UXsniff
Each tool varies in interface and advanced options, but the basic process is similar.
Step-by-Step: Using an Online Broken Link Checker
Here’s a practical guide you can follow, based on most online checkers:
-
Choose a Broken Link Checker:
Select a reputable tool that suits your needs. Decide if you want a free tool for a quick scan, or a premium tool with full reports and support. -
Enter Your Website URL:
Input the home page or the specific URL you want to scan. -
Customize Scan Settings (If Available):
Some tools let you set scan depth, limit the number of pages, choose between internal and external links, or schedule recurring reports. -
Run the Scan:
Initiate the scan and wait while the tool crawls your site. For small sites, this takes just a minute. Large sites may take longer. -
Review Results:
The tool will display a list of broken links along with:- The page where each broken link appears
- The URL of the broken link
- The error code (e.g., 404 not found, 500 server error)
-
Export or Save the Report:
Most tools allow you to download a spreadsheet of results or email the report.
Top Benefits of Regular Broken Link Checks
- Enhances User Experience: Ensures visitors don’t encounter dead ends.
- Boosts SEO: Search engines favor well-maintained sites.
- Builds Trust: Shows you care about your site and its resources.
- Prevents Revenue Loss: Keeps potential customers on your website.
- Detects Other Issues: Reveals underlying technical or content problems.
Challenges and Limitations
Checking for broken links is straightforward, but there can be obstacles:
- Scan Limits: Free tools may restrict the number of pages you can scan at once.
- Schedule: Manual scans need to be done regularly to stay updated.
- False Positives: Some tools may report working links as broken due to server hiccups.
- Resource Heavy: Large sites may require more powerful (often paid) tools to scan efficiently.
- Authentication Issues: Tools may not scan password-protected or member-only areas.
Best Practices for Managing Broken Links
Keep your website healthy and links working with these strategies:
1. Scan Regularly
- Run broken link checks at least once a month.
- Set reminders or use tools with automated, scheduled scans.
2. Prioritize High-Traffic Pages
- Focus first on your homepage, top landing pages, and key sales or service pages.
- These pages have the biggest impact on user impression.
3. Fix or Redirect Quickly
- For broken internal links, update the URL or redirect to the correct page.
- For broken external links, find a suitable alternative resource or remove the link.
4. Check After Major Updates
- Always scan your site after large content updates, migrations, or redesigns.
5. Monitor User Feedback
- Sometimes visitors will find and report broken links before your scans do. Provide a way for them to let you know.
- Implement user-friendly error pages that guide visitors to useful content.
Cost Tips
- Most online checkers offer free scans for smaller sites, often up to a few hundred pages.
- For larger sites or more detailed reporting, consider investing in a paid plan. Prices usually scale based on the number of pages, frequency of scans, and additional features.
- Some website maintenance suites include broken link scanning as part of their package, which can be more cost-effective if you need other features (like uptime monitoring or SEO audits).
- If you’re shipping products and broken links are appearing in order or checkout processes, give highest priority to fixing those as they directly affect revenue.
In Summary
Broken links can disrupt your website’s user experience and harm your search engine rankings. Thankfully, with the help of manual checks, browser extensions, or automated tools, you can detect and resolve these issues efficiently. By following best practices and conducting regular scans, you’ll keep your site running smoothly and safeguard your reputation with both users and search engines.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is a broken link?
A broken link is a hyperlink on your website that doesn’t work. When users click it, they may see an error page (like “404”) because the destination page doesn’t exist, the URL is mistyped, or there’s an issue with the target website.
2. How often should I check my website for broken links?
It’s best to check your website at least once a month, or more frequently if you regularly update your content. Major site changes or migrations are also good times to run a scan.
3. Are free broken link checkers reliable?
Free checkers are generally reliable for small to medium websites, but may have limitations on the number of pages scanned or advanced reporting features. For larger sites or more detailed analysis, a paid service is recommended.
4. Can broken links affect my search engine rankings?
Yes, search engines view broken links as a sign of poor website maintenance. Consistently having broken links can negatively impact your SEO, making it harder for your site to rank well in search results.
5. What should I do if I find a broken link?
Fix the issue as soon as possible. If it’s an internal link, update the URL or set up a redirect. If it’s an external link, see if there’s a suitable replacement or remove the link altogether.
By staying proactive about broken link maintenance, you can keep your website welcoming, trustworthy, and optimized for both visitors and search engines.