Check for Broken Links on Website
Checking for broken links on a website means crawling pages to find URLs that return errors or no longer lead to the intended destination.
- Also called
- Broken link audit
- Applies to
- Internal and external links
Key points
- Broken links create poor user experiences and can prevent crawlers from reaching important pages.
- Regular checks help maintain crawlability, preserve link equity, and reduce 404-related issues.
- Internal broken links are typically fixed by updating the URL, adding a 301 redirect, or removing the link.
- Only checking the homepage or a few pages is a common mistake that misses many broken links.
Why it matters
Broken links create poor user experiences and can prevent crawlers from reaching important pages, which can hurt site quality and internal linking efficiency. Regular checks help maintain crawlability, preserve link equity, and reduce 404-related issues reported in audits and Search Console. Understanding broken links seo is essential for maintaining site health.
Where it changes your decision
- When deciding whether to fix an internal broken link with a 301 redirect or by updating the URL.
- When prioritising which broken links to fix first based on link equity and source page importance – a key part of seo project management.
- When choosing between using a dead link checker for a full crawl and relying on manual checks or Search Console alone.
Questions people ask
Best broken link checker?
There is no single best tool; it depends on the site's size and needs. Semrush Site Audit, Screaming Frog, and W3C Link Checker are common options. Each can crawl the site and report broken URLs with their HTTP status codes.
Best free broken link checker?
Free options include W3C Link Checker for single-page scans and Screaming Frog's free version for limited crawls. Google Search Console also surfaces broken pages under Indexing > Pages, but it may not catch all broken links.
How to find external links in excel and remove them?
This is an Excel task, not a website audit. To find external links, use Find and Replace searching for 'http' or 'https'. To remove them, you can break links using the Edit Links command or replace values with static text.
Sources
- Google Search Console Help Primary source for indexing and crawl error reporting in Search Console.
- Google Search Central Authoritative guidance on crawling, indexing, and handling broken or moved URLs.
- Screaming Frog SEO Spider Documentation Clear, practical instructions for finding broken links in a site crawl.
- W3C Link Checker Established standard tool for validating links on a page or recursively.
Written and maintained by Nora Lindholm. Last updated 27 July 2026.
Spotted an error? Email me — corrections are logged and credited on the entry. Outbound links are unpaid; most are nofollow.