Broken Link Checker
Paste any URL and instantly scan every link on that page for 404s, server errors, and dead endpoints. No sign-up, no install — results in seconds.
How to Use the Broken Link Checker
Enter the full URL of any webpage in the input field above and click Check Links. The tool fetches the page server-side, extracts every anchor link in the HTML, and fires concurrent HTTP requests to verify each one. Results appear as a sortable, filterable table with color-coded status badges.
Understanding the Status Codes
The link is reachable and returned a success response. No action needed.
The URL redirects to another location. Internal redirects should be updated to the final destination.
The link is dead — either the page doesn't exist (404) or the server errored (5xx). Fix or remove it.
Why Broken Links Hurt SEO
Broken links degrade the crawl experience for both users and search engine bots. When Googlebot follows a link and receives a 404, it wastes crawl budget that could have been spent indexing valuable content. On high-authority pages, internal 404s also bleed link equity — PageRank that was flowing to productive pages is instead delivered to a dead end.
External broken links signal to visitors (and subtly to search engines) that a page is outdated or poorly maintained. Pages with numerous broken outbound links can see drops in user engagement metrics like time-on-page and return visits — both indirect ranking signals over time.
Common Sources of Broken Links
- •Pages deleted or moved without setting up a 301 redirect to the new URL.
- •Domain migrations where old internal links still point to the previous domain.
- •External sites you link to that have since gone offline or restructured their URLs.
- •Typos in href attributes introduced during CMS editing or template updates.
- •Links pointing to gated content that returns 403 or redirects unauthenticated users to a login page.
- •Anchor links (#section-id) targeting headings that were renamed or removed.
How to Fix Broken Links
| Status | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| 404 Not Found | Page deleted or URL changed | Update the link to the correct URL or set up a 301 redirect |
| 410 Gone | Page permanently removed | Remove the link or replace with a relevant live page |
| 500 Server Error | Destination server issue | Contact the site owner or replace with an alternative source |
| Timeout | Server unresponsive | Verify manually; may be temporary. Remove if consistently unreachable |
| 301 Redirect | URL moved permanently | Update the link to point directly to the final destination URL |
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the broken link checker work?
The tool fetches the target page server-side and extracts all anchor href links found in the HTML. It then sends HEAD requests (with a GET fallback) to each discovered URL, recording the HTTP status code. Any link returning a 4xx or 5xx status — or failing to connect entirely — is flagged as broken.
How many links can it check at once?
The tool checks up to 100 links per scan to stay within server timeout limits. Links are processed concurrently in batches of 10, so most pages complete in under 30 seconds. For larger sites or deep crawls, run the checker on individual pages one at a time.
Why do some links show as broken when they actually work?
Some servers block automated HEAD requests or require browser cookies, JavaScript rendering, or authentication before serving a page. The tool automatically falls back to a GET request when a server returns 405 (Method Not Allowed), but bot-protection systems like Cloudflare may still return error codes. Try opening those specific URLs in a browser to verify.
What's the difference between a 404 and a 301?
A 404 means the page genuinely does not exist — the link is broken and should be fixed or removed. A 301 is a permanent redirect, meaning the URL still resolves to content, but it adds an extra hop. From an SEO standpoint, internally redirected links should be updated to point directly to the final destination URL to preserve full link equity and avoid unnecessary latency.
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