Why Broken Links Are Hurting Your Website Right Now
Broken links are one of the most common yet overlooked issues that silently damage your website. They frustrate visitors, hurt your search engine rankings, and make your site look neglected. Whether you manage a small business site or a large content platform, knowing how to fix broken links on your website is an essential skill.
In this guide, we will walk you through the entire process: understanding what broken links are, finding them with free tools, and fixing them with practical methods you can implement today.
What Is a Broken Link?
A broken link (also called a dead link) is a hyperlink that no longer leads to its intended destination. When a user or search engine bot clicks on a broken link, they typically receive a 404 Not Found error or another HTTP error code instead of the expected page.
Common Causes of Broken Links
- The linked page was deleted or moved without setting up a redirect
- A typo in the URL when the link was originally created
- The external website went offline or restructured its URLs
- Domain name changes that were not properly redirected
- File or media removed from the server (PDFs, images, downloads)
- Website migration where URL structures changed
What Happens if Your Website Has Too Many Broken Links?
Ignoring broken links can create a cascade of problems. Here is what is at stake:
| Impact Area | What Happens |
|---|---|
| User Experience | Visitors land on error pages, get frustrated, and leave your site (increasing bounce rate) |
| SEO Rankings | Google sees broken links as a sign of poor site quality, which can lower your rankings |
| Crawl Budget | Search engine bots waste time crawling dead URLs instead of indexing your valuable content |
| Link Equity | Any backlinks pointing to broken pages lose their SEO value entirely |
| Trust and Credibility | A site full of dead links looks abandoned and unprofessional |
The bottom line: broken links cost you traffic, trust, and revenue. Fixing them should be a regular part of your website maintenance routine.
Step 1: Find Broken Links on Your Website
Before you can fix anything, you need to know where the problems are. Here are the best free tools to identify broken links on your site.
Option A: Google Search Console (Free)
Google Search Console is the most reliable starting point because it shows you exactly what Google itself is encountering when it crawls your site.
- Log in to Google Search Console
- Select your property (website)
- Navigate to Indexing > Pages in the left sidebar
- Look for pages listed under the “Not indexed” section
- Filter by the reason “Not found (404)”
- Click on any URL to see which pages link to it (the referring page)
- Export the full list by clicking the export button for a spreadsheet you can work through
Pro tip: Pay special attention to pages that had significant traffic or backlinks before they broke. These are your highest-priority fixes.
Option B: Screaming Frog SEO Spider (Free for up to 500 URLs)
Screaming Frog is a desktop application that crawls your entire website and reports every broken link it finds. It is incredibly thorough and widely used by SEO professionals.
- Download Screaming Frog SEO Spider from screamingfrog.co.uk (free version crawls up to 500 URLs)
- Enter your website URL in the top bar and click “Start”
- Wait for the crawl to complete
- Click the “Response Codes” tab
- Use the filter dropdown and select “Client Error (4xx)”
- You will see a complete list of all broken URLs on your site
- Click on any broken URL, then check the “Inlinks” tab at the bottom to see which pages on your site link to it
- Export the results to a spreadsheet for systematic fixing
Option C: Online Broken Link Checkers
If you prefer not to install software, several online tools can scan your site directly from your browser:
- Dr. Link Check (drlinkcheck.com) – scans for broken and malicious links
- Dead Link Checker (deadlinkchecker.com) – simple and fast for smaller sites
- Broken Link Checker Chrome Extension – checks broken links on the page you are currently viewing
Option D: Check Links Directly in Google Sheets
If you have a list of URLs you want to verify, you can paste them into Google Sheets and use add-ons like LinkPulse Sheets to bulk-check their status codes. This is useful when you want to verify a specific set of links rather than crawling an entire site.
Step 2: Categorize and Prioritize Your Broken Links
Once you have your list of broken links, do not just start fixing them randomly. Prioritize based on impact.
Create a simple spreadsheet with these columns:
| Broken URL | Linked From (Source Page) | Type (Internal/External) | Priority | Fix Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| /old-product-page | Homepage | Internal | High | 301 redirect to new product page |
| https://example.com/gone | Blog post | External | Medium | Replace with alternative source |
| /old-blog/typo-url | Sidebar widget | Internal | High | Correct the URL |
Prioritize in this order:
- Broken internal links on high-traffic pages (homepage, top landing pages)
- Broken links that have external backlinks pointing to them (you are losing SEO value)
- Broken internal links on other pages
- Broken external links (links from your site to other websites)
Step 3: Fix Broken Internal Links
Internal broken links are the ones you have full control over, so start here. There are several methods depending on the situation.
Method 1: Set Up a 301 Redirect (Recommended by Google)
A 301 redirect permanently sends visitors and search engines from the old broken URL to a new, relevant page. This is the method Google recommends for fixing broken internal links because it preserves link equity.
How to add a 301 redirect in WordPress:
- Install a free plugin like Redirection (by John Godley)
- Go to Tools > Redirection in your WordPress dashboard
- In the “Source URL” field, enter the broken URL path (e.g.,
/old-page) - In the “Target URL” field, enter the new destination URL
- Click “Add Redirect”
- Test the redirect by visiting the old URL in your browser
How to add a 301 redirect via .htaccess (Apache servers):
Add this line to your .htaccess file:
Redirect 301 /old-page-url https://yourdomain.com/new-page-urlHow to add a 301 redirect in Nginx:
Add this to your server configuration block:
rewrite ^/old-page-url$ https://yourdomain.com/new-page-url permanent;Important: Always redirect to a page with relevant, related content. Redirecting all broken pages to your homepage is considered a soft 404 by Google and does not help your SEO.
Method 2: Update the Link Directly
If the broken link was caused by a typo or the destination page simply moved to a new URL on your site, the cleanest fix is to update the link in your content.
- Open the page or post that contains the broken link in your CMS editor
- Find the broken hyperlink
- Update it with the correct, working URL
- Save and publish
- Verify the link works by clicking it on the live page
Method 3: Recreate the Missing Content
If the broken URL was a page that received traffic or backlinks, consider recreating the content at the original URL. This is especially valuable when:
- External sites link to that specific URL
- The page appeared in search results and drove organic traffic
- The content is still relevant to your audience
Method 4: Remove the Link Entirely
If the linked content is no longer relevant and there is no suitable replacement page, simply remove the broken link from your content. This is better than leaving a dead link in place.
Step 4: Fix Broken External Links
Broken external links point from your site to other websites that no longer work. While you cannot control external sites, you can still fix the experience for your visitors.
- Find an updated URL: Sometimes the external page moved to a new address. Check if the site restructured and locate the new URL.
- Use the Wayback Machine: Visit web.archive.org to see if an archived version exists. You can reference or link to the archived version if needed.
- Replace with an alternative source: Find a similar resource on another website and update your link.
- Remove the link: If no replacement exists, remove the link and adjust your content accordingly.
Step 5: Prevent Broken Links in the Future
Fixing broken links once is not enough. Websites are dynamic, and new broken links will appear over time. Here is how to stay ahead of the problem.
Set Up Regular Monitoring
- Schedule monthly crawls with Screaming Frog or a similar tool
- Check Google Search Console weekly for new crawl errors
- Use an automated monitoring service like Dr. Link Check, which can email you reports on a schedule
- If you use WordPress, install a plugin like Broken Link Checker that continuously monitors your links in the background
Use Best Practices When Creating Links
- Use relative URLs for internal links when possible, so links survive domain or protocol changes
- Use dependency tags or dynamic links in your CMS if available (some CMS platforms can track linked pages and update references automatically)
- Avoid linking to unstable sources that frequently change their URL structures
- Always set up 301 redirects when you delete or move a page on your own site
- Document your URL structure so anyone on your team knows the conventions before creating new pages
Create a Custom 404 Page
Even with the best maintenance, some visitors will still land on a broken link. A custom 404 page can soften the blow by:
- Providing a search bar so visitors can find what they need
- Linking to your most popular or important pages
- Including a friendly message and your branding
- Offering a way to report the broken link to your team
Quick Reference: Broken Link Fix Decision Tree
Not sure which fix method to use? Follow this simple decision process:
- Does a relevant replacement page exist on your site?
Yes: Set up a 301 redirect to that page.
No: Go to step 2. - Was the broken page valuable (had traffic, backlinks, or important content)?
Yes: Recreate the content at the original URL or a new URL with a redirect.
No: Go to step 3. - Is it an internal or external link?
Internal: Remove the link or update it to a relevant page.
External: Find an alternative source or remove the link.
Tools Summary: Free Broken Link Checkers Compared
| Tool | Type | Best For | Limit (Free Version) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Search Console | Online | Seeing what Google actually encounters | Unlimited (your own sites) |
| Screaming Frog | Desktop app | Deep crawl with detailed reports | 500 URLs |
| Dr. Link Check | Online | Quick online scan with malicious link detection | Up to 1,500 links checked |
| Dead Link Checker | Online | Simple, fast checks for small sites | Varies |
| Broken Link Checker (Chrome Extension) | Browser extension | Checking one page at a time as you browse | Unlimited (per page) |
| LinkPulse (Google Sheets) | Spreadsheet add-on | Bulk checking a custom list of URLs | Varies |
Frequently Asked Questions
How will you fix broken links on your website?
The most effective approach is to first identify all broken links using a tool like Google Search Console or Screaming Frog, then fix each one by either setting up a 301 redirect to a relevant page, updating the link to the correct URL, recreating the missing content, or removing the link entirely. The right method depends on the specific situation for each broken link.
Can broken links be fixed?
Yes, absolutely. Broken links can always be fixed. Internal broken links are entirely within your control. External broken links can be addressed by replacing them with working alternatives or removing them. The key is finding them first with the right tools and then applying the appropriate fix for each case.
What causes a broken link?
The most common causes include: a page being deleted or moved without a redirect, a typo in the URL when the link was created, an external website going offline or restructuring its URLs, domain name changes, and website migrations where URL patterns changed. Links can also break when files like PDFs or images are removed from a server.
What happens if a website has too many broken links?
A website with many broken links will suffer from lower search engine rankings, wasted crawl budget (Google spends time on dead URLs instead of your good content), poor user experience leading to higher bounce rates, and a loss of link equity from any backlinks pointing to broken pages. Over time, this can significantly reduce your organic traffic and hurt your online credibility.
How often should I check for broken links?
For most websites, a monthly check is a good practice. If you have a large site with thousands of pages or frequently publish new content, consider running checks bi-weekly. You should also check for broken links immediately after a website migration, redesign, or any major content restructuring.
Is there a free way to fix broken links?
Yes. You can find broken links for free using Google Search Console, the free version of Screaming Frog (up to 500 URLs), or online tools like Dead Link Checker and Dr. Link Check. Fixing them is also free: you can set up 301 redirects using free WordPress plugins like Redirection, or by editing your .htaccess file manually.
Final Thoughts
Broken links are inevitable on any website that has been around for a while. Pages get moved, external sites go down, and typos happen. What matters is that you have a process in place to find and fix them regularly.
By following the steps in this guide, using free tools like Google Search Console and Screaming Frog, and building link maintenance into your routine, you can keep your site healthy, maintain strong search rankings, and deliver a smooth experience for every visitor.
Need help auditing your website for broken links and other technical SEO issues? Get in touch with our team and let us help you build a cleaner, better-performing website.