How do broken links affect SEO?

Broken links harm SEO in three ways: they waste Google's crawl budget on dead pages, they create poor user experiences that increase bounce rates, and they signal poor site maintenance to search engines. Sites with many broken links tend to rank lower than clean, well-maintained sites.

How do I fix a broken link?

To fix a broken link: (1) Update the link to the correct current URL if the page moved. (2) Remove the link entirely if the destination is gone. (3) If it's an internal link, either restore the deleted page or create a 301 redirect from the old URL to the new one. (4) For external broken links, find an alternative source or remove the reference.

What is the difference between a 404 error and a redirect?

A 404 error means the page no longer exists — the server returns "Not Found." A redirect means the page has moved — the server returns 301 (permanent) or 302 (temporary) and sends users to a new URL. Both can be problems: 404s are dead ends, and redirect chains (multiple redirects in a row) slow down loading and dilute link equity.

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What is a broken link?

A broken link (also called a dead link) is a hyperlink on your website that no longer works. When a user or search engine crawler follows it, they land on an error page instead of the intended content — most commonly a 404 Not Found error.

Broken links happen constantly on the web. Pages get deleted, URLs change, external websites shut down, and CMS migrations accidentally break internal links. The problem is that none of this is visible to you as the website owner — your page looks perfectly fine while Google and your visitors hit dead ends.

A broken link checker is the only way to find them all at once, without manually clicking every link on every page.

The hidden cost of broken links

A study by Ahrefs found that the average website loses a significant portion of its backlink value to broken pages — links from other sites pointing to pages you've deleted or moved without redirects. Every broken link is lost SEO equity.

How broken links hurt your SEO

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Wasted crawl budget

Google allocates a crawl budget to every website — how many pages it will crawl in a given time. Every broken link wastes part of that budget on a dead end instead of discovering your real content.

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Lost link equity

If another website links to a page you've deleted (without redirecting), all the SEO value of that backlink disappears into a 404 error instead of flowing to your site.

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Poor user experience

Users who hit broken links leave your site immediately. Higher bounce rates from frustrated visitors send negative engagement signals to Google.

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Site quality signals

Google assesses site quality partly through maintenance indicators. A site with many broken links signals neglect — not the kind of site Google wants to rank prominently.

Types of broken links a checker finds

404 Not Found

The most common broken link. The page existed but has been deleted or the URL changed. Zero content is returned — a complete dead end.

410 Gone

Like a 404 but permanent — the page was intentionally removed. Google de-indexes these faster than 404s.

500 Server Error

The server crashed while trying to serve the page. Usually temporary but can be a sign of hosting problems.

Redirect Chains

Page A redirects to Page B which redirects to Page C. Each extra hop adds load time and reduces the SEO value passed through the chain.

Redirect Loops

Page A redirects to Page B which redirects back to Page A — infinite loop. Browsers and crawlers abort these entirely.

Timeout

The server took too long to respond. Could be a slow external site or a server that's overloaded. Effectively broken from a user's perspective.

How to use the free broken link checker

Enter your page URL

Paste any publicly accessible URL. The checker works on any page — homepage, blog post, product page, or landing page.

The checker scans all links

Every link on the page is tested — internal links to other pages on your site, and external links to other websites. Status codes are checked for each one.

Review your broken links report

You get a full list of every broken link, its status code (404, 500, redirect chain), and the anchor text used — so you can find it in your content immediately.

Fix and recheck

Update or remove each broken link, then run the checker again to confirm the page is clean.

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How to fix broken links

✓ Update the link URL

When: The page moved to a new address

How: Find the current correct URL and update the link to point to it directly.

✓ Remove the link

When: The page no longer exists and there's no equivalent

How: Delete the hyperlink from your content. If the anchor text still makes sense without the link, keep the text; otherwise, rewrite the sentence.

✓ Set up a 301 redirect

When: It's one of your own internal pages that moved

How: In your CMS or server config, add a permanent redirect from the old URL to the new URL. All SEO value transfers.

✓ Replace with an alternative source

When: It's an external link to a resource that's gone

How: Find another credible source for the same information and link to that instead. Don't just remove references — link to better sources.

Frequently asked questions

What is a broken link checker?▼

A broken link checker is a tool that scans a webpage and tests every link on it. It identifies links that return 404 errors, links to removed pages, external links that no longer work, and redirect chains. It helps you fix SEO and usability issues quickly.

Are broken links a Google ranking factor?▼

Not directly — Google does not have an explicit penalty for broken links. However, broken links negatively affect crawl efficiency, user experience, and site quality signals, all of which indirectly influence rankings.

How do I find broken links without a tool?▼

Without a tool, you would need to manually click every link on every page — impractical for anything beyond a 5-page site. Google Search Console shows some crawl errors, but it only covers internal links Google has tried to crawl, not external links.

Does my CMS (WordPress, Shopify, etc.) fix broken links automatically?▼

No. CMS platforms do not automatically fix broken links. Some WordPress plugins (like Broken Link Checker) can monitor links and alert you, but you still need to fix them manually. Running a dedicated broken link checker regularly is the most reliable approach.

How often should I check for broken links?▼

Check monthly at minimum. External sites you link to can go offline without warning. Also run a check after any site migration, redesign, or major content update — these are when internal links most commonly break.

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