Broken Link Checker
Find Dead Links Instantly
Scan up to 50 URLs at once and detect 404 errors, broken links, and redirects in seconds. Improve your website’s SEO, user experience, and search rankings with our free online link checker tool.
Check Your Links for Free
Paste up to 50 URLs below. We will check each one for HTTP status codes, 404 errors, redirects, and server issues. You can also drop a TXT or CSV file containing URLs.
Checks up to 50 URLs. Uses multiple methods to determine if a link is reachable. Links showing “Likely OK” load fine but block automated checks.
Raw JSON (advanced)
What Is a Broken Link?
A broken link (also called a dead link or 404 error) is a hyperlink that points to a webpage that no longer exists or is unreachable. When users or search engines click a broken link, they encounter an error page instead of the intended content.
Internal Broken Links
Links within your own website that point to pages that have been deleted, moved, or renamed without proper redirects. These waste crawl budget and hurt user experience.
External Broken Links
Links pointing to other websites that no longer exist or have changed their URLs. These damage your credibility and provide no value to users.
Common Causes
Pages deleted without redirects, URL structure changes, typos in links, domain name changes, server downtime, and moved content without updating links.
Why Broken Links Hurt Your SEO
Broken links are more than just an inconvenience. They actively damage your website’s search engine rankings and user experience in multiple ways.
Waste Crawl Budget
Search engines allocate a limited crawl budget to each website. When bots encounter broken links, they waste precious crawl time on non-existent pages instead of indexing your valuable content.
Poor User Experience
Users expect to find content when they click a link. Encountering a 404 error frustrates visitors, increases bounce rates, and reduces trust in your website.
Lost Link Authority
Internal links pass authority (PageRank) between pages. Broken links create dead ends that stop the flow of authority, weakening your site’s overall SEO strength.
Negative Ranking Signal
Google and other search engines may interpret many broken links as a sign of poor site maintenance. This can lead to lower rankings across your entire website.
Lower Conversion Rates
Broken links disrupt the user journey. When visitors cannot reach product pages, contact forms, or checkout pages, your conversion rates drop significantly.
Damaged Brand Reputation
A website full of broken links looks unprofessional and neglected. Visitors may question your credibility and choose competitors with better-maintained sites.
Common HTTP Status Codes Explained
Understanding HTTP status codes helps you diagnose link issues quickly. Here are the most common codes you will encounter when checking your website links.
| Status Code | Meaning | Impact | Action Needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 200 OK | The page loaded successfully | Good | No action needed |
| 301 Moved | Permanent redirect to a new URL | Warning | Update link to final destination |
| 302 Found | Temporary redirect | Warning | Check if redirect is intentional |
| 404 Not Found | Page does not exist | Critical | Fix or remove the broken link |
| 410 Gone | Page permanently removed | Critical | Remove link or create redirect |
| 500 Server Error | Server failed to respond | Critical | Check server status or contact host |
| 503 Unavailable | Server temporarily overloaded | Critical | Retry later or check server health |
How to Fix Broken Links
Once you have identified broken links on your website, follow these proven strategies to fix them and improve your site’s health.
Update the Link URL
If the page has moved to a new location, simply update the link to point to the correct URL. This is the fastest fix for renamed or relocated content.
Create a 301 Redirect
When a page is permanently moved, set up a 301 redirect from the old URL to the new one. This preserves SEO value and ensures visitors reach the right content.
Remove Dead Links
If the linked content no longer exists and has no replacement, remove the link entirely. A missing link is better than a broken one that frustrates users.
Replace with Relevant Content
Find similar or updated content on your site or a trusted external source and replace the broken link with a link to that resource.
Create a Custom 404 Page
Design a helpful 404 error page with navigation options, a search bar, and links to popular content. This turns a dead end into a recovery opportunity.
Schedule Regular Checks
Set up a monthly routine to scan your website for broken links. Proactive maintenance prevents small issues from becoming major SEO problems.
How Our Broken Link Checker Works
Our free link checker tool uses multiple detection methods to give you the most accurate results possible. Here is what happens when you run a scan.
Paste Your URLs
Enter up to 50 URLs in the text area, one per line. You can also drag and drop a TXT or CSV file containing your URLs for bulk checking.
Multi-Method Detection
The tool tries multiple proxy services to fetch real HTTP status codes. If proxies are blocked, it falls back to direct no-cors checks to determine reachability.
Instant Results
Each URL is analyzed and categorized as OK, Redirect, or Broken. Results display with color-coded status badges, HTTP codes, and detailed explanations.
Export & Fix
Export your results to CSV for easy sharing with your team. Use the filter buttons to focus on broken links or redirects, then follow our fix recommendations.
Example Scan Results
Here is what your broken link checker results will look like after running a scan. Each URL is checked and displayed with its status code and a helpful explanation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Get answers to the most common questions about broken links, 404 errors, and how to use our free link checker tool.
What is a broken link?
How do I find broken links on my website?
Do broken links affect SEO?
What is a 404 error?
Should I fix redirected links?
How often should I check my website for broken links?
Are broken links bad for user experience?
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