Free tool
Broken Link Checker (404 Checker)
Every link on a page that no longer resolves, in one list.
How it works
What is the Broken Link Checker (404 Checker)?
The Broken Link Checker (404 Checker) is a free tool that finds the dead links on one web page. It reads every link in the page's HTML, requests each destination, and lists the ones that return an error, such as a 404 or 500, or never answer. Working links are left out, so the list is only what needs fixing.
How to use the Broken Link Checker (404 Checker)
- Paste the URL of the page you want to scan, such as a blog post or a resources page with many outbound links.
- Press Check broken links. The tool reads the page's
<a href>links and requests each destination, up to 60 unique links. - Read the count, Broken Links Found, and the list of dead URLs under it. Each one opens in a new tab.
- Fix or remove each link on your page. To see the status code behind a failure, run the same page through the 404 Page Checker.
What counts as a broken link?
A broken link is one whose destination does not answer with a success status. That covers a 404 for a page that moved or was deleted, a 403 for a page behind a login, a 500 from a failing server, and a DNS failure for a domain that has lapsed.
This checker sends a HEAD request first and retries with GET when that fails, since some servers refuse HEAD. Redirects are followed, so a link that redirects to a working page counts as working, and a link whose server never answers is listed as broken.
How many links does the broken link checker test?
Up to 60 unique links per page, in the order they appear in the HTML. It checks the <a href> links to http and https addresses, which are the links a visitor clicks through to another page.
Each unique URL is requested once, so a link repeated in the header, the body and the footer counts as one link and shows once in the list.
Do broken links affect SEO?
Not as a direct penalty, but they cost you in two ways. Internal broken links waste crawls on URLs that return nothing, and the page you meant to link to loses that link. Both ends are yours, so these are the quickest fix.
Broken outbound links lose the visitor at the click and make a page look unmaintained. Old posts that cite sources are where they pile up.
Questions
- What is a broken link?
- A broken link is a hyperlink whose destination no longer loads, usually because the page was moved or deleted and now returns a 404 error. Links to an expired domain or a server that is down are broken too.
- Do broken links hurt SEO?
- Broken links are not a direct ranking penalty, but they waste crawl requests and send visitors to dead ends. Fixing broken internal links keeps crawlers and visitors on pages that exist.
- How do I find broken links on my whole website?
- Find broken links one page at a time with this checker, or run a site crawler to scan every page at once. Google Search Console's Page indexing report also lists URLs on your site that return a 404.
- How do I fix broken links?
- Fix a broken link by pointing it at the page's new URL, adding a 301 redirect from the old URL to the closest live page, or removing the link when nothing equivalent exists. Google treats a redirect to an unrelated page, such as the homepage, as a soft 404.
- Do I need a plugin to check broken links in WordPress?
- No, you do not need a plugin to check broken links on a WordPress site. Paste any page URL into this checker and it lists the dead links on that page, with nothing to install on your site.
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