How the broken link checker works
Links break all the time: a partner renames a page, a shop removes a product, a domain expires. Visitors who click land on a 404, and search engines stop following the path. This broken link checker loads the page you enter, collects every link and image on it, and requests each address to read its HTTP status code. Status codes like 404 or 500 mean the link is broken. It starts with a light HEAD request and repeats with a normal GET when a server refuses HEAD, so a link is only called broken when it really fails. Redirects are followed, up to five hops, and the final status counts.
Internal links point to the same site as the page, external links go elsewhere. Both are checked, and the table marks which is which, together with the anchor text or the alt text of an image, so you can find the link on the page quickly.
What the results mean
| Result | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Broken | 404 Not Found, 410 Gone, a server error, or a domain that no longer exists. Fix or remove these first. |
| Check | The site refused our checker (401, 403, 429) or did not answer in time. Some sites block automated requests; open the link in your browser to be sure. |
| Redirect | Works, but only after one or more redirects. Point the link at the final address to save a round trip. |
| OK | Answered with a 2xx status code directly. |
Fixing what it finds
- Broken internal links: update the link, or if the target page moved, add a 301 redirect from the old address so other sites that link to it keep working.
- Broken external links: search for the page's new address, link to an archived copy, or remove the link.
- Broken images: upload the image again or fix its path, for example after a media folder was renamed.
- Long redirect chains: check them hop by hop with the HTTP header checker and link straight to the final address.
While you are on the page, check how it looks when shared with the Open Graph checker.
How to check a page for dead links
- 1Paste the address of the page and press Check links. Give it up to half a minute.
- 2Filter by Broken first, then look at the links marked Check in your own browser.
- 3Download the CSV or copy the result as a to-do list, fix the links and run the check again.
Frequently asked questions
Why does a link show as "check" when it works in my browser?
Some sites block automated requests or ask for a login, and answer our checker with 403, 429 or the nonstandard code 999. That does not mean the link is broken for people. Open those links yourself; if they load, they are fine.
How many links does it check?
Up to 100 unique links and images per page, those in the main content first, then the rest of the page and the images, within about 25 seconds. Each address is checked once even if it appears several times. Links to email addresses and phone numbers are counted but not checked. For a large page, check the most important sections separately.
Can it crawl my whole website?
No, it checks one page at a time, which keeps it fast and fair to the sites it visits. Check your most visited pages, the home page and the pages that collect the most links. For a full site audit, the Page indexing report in Google Search Console lists the pages Google found with a 404 error.
Do broken links hurt SEO?
They send visitors to dead ends, and a broken internal link also means search engines cannot reach the target page through it. Fix internal 404s first, then external ones.
Why is there a limit on checks?
Each run sends up to a hundred requests to other servers, so it is limited to a few runs per visitor every ten minutes. That keeps the tool fast for everyone and stops it from being misused against other websites.