Websites Broken Link Checker

Find dead or broken links on your website, so you can fix them for better user experience and SEO. No signup. Ideal for maintaining a healthy, link-clean site.

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This broken link checker finds dead or broken links on your website, directly in your browser. Enter your site to check for broken links. No account, no install, so you can find and fix dead links for better user experience and SEO on any device in seconds.

How to Check for Broken Links Step by Step

  1. Enter your website. Enter your website or the page you want to check for broken links.
  2. Run the check. The tool checks the links, finding any that are dead or broken, meaning they do not lead to a working destination.
  3. See the broken links. See the broken links found, the ones that are dead or lead to errors, so you know which links need fixing.
  4. Identify what to fix. Note the broken links and where they are, so you can find and fix them on your site.
  5. Fix the broken links. Fix each broken link, by correcting or removing it, so your site's links work, improving user experience and SEO.
Broken link checker finding dead links on a website

What Broken Links Are and Why They Matter

A broken link, or dead link, is a link that does not lead to a working destination, such as one pointing to a page that no longer exists or returns an error. Broken links are a common problem on websites, arising when linked pages are moved, removed, or their addresses change. A broken link checker finds these dead links on your site, so you can identify and fix them.

Broken links matter for both user experience and SEO. For users, clicking a broken link is frustrating, leading to an error instead of the expected content, which harms their experience of your site. For SEO, broken links can negatively affect how search engines view your site, since a well maintained site without broken links is better for search performance than one with dead links.

Broken links harm user experience and SEO. A broken or dead link does not lead to a working destination, frustrating users with errors and potentially harming SEO. Finding and fixing broken links keeps your site working well for visitors and supports its search performance.

The difference is simple: a working link leads to its intended, functioning destination, while a broken link does not, leading to an error or nothing. Finding which links are broken lets you fix them, restoring working links. So a checker distinguishes the broken links from the working ones, showing you which need attention, so you can maintain a site where links work as intended.

Broken link checkers are used by website owners, developers, and anyone maintaining a site: finding dead links to fix them, improving user experience, and supporting SEO. Because broken links harm both users and search performance, and can accumulate over time as linked content changes, regularly checking for and fixing them is a good maintenance practice, keeping your site's links healthy and working.

Working Versus Broken Links

AspectWorking linkBroken link
DestinationWorking, intended pageError or nothing
User experienceGoodFrustrating
SEOSupports itCan harm it
ActionKeepFix or remove

Who Uses a Broken Link Checker

Website owners maintaining sitesA website owner checks for broken links to fix them, keeping their site healthy and working well for visitors.
Developers checking sitesA developer checks a site for broken links as part of maintenance or before launch, finding dead links to fix.
People improving user experienceSomeone wanting a good user experience checks for broken links, so visitors do not hit frustrating errors from dead links.
People supporting SEOA person supporting their site's SEO checks for broken links, since fixing them helps search performance and site quality.
Anyone maintaining a websiteA person maintaining a website checks for broken links regularly, finding and fixing dead links to keep the site's links working.
Person fixing broken links to improve their site

Pro Tips for Fixing Broken Links

Check regularly for broken links. Broken links can accumulate over time as linked content changes. Check your site regularly, so you catch and fix new broken links, keeping your links healthy on an ongoing basis.
Fix broken links promptly. When you find broken links, fix them promptly by correcting or removing them, so users do not keep hitting errors and your site's link health and SEO are maintained.
Decide whether to fix or remove. For each broken link, decide whether to fix it, by correcting the link to a working destination, or remove it, if the linked content is gone, so the link no longer leads to an error.
Improve user experience by fixing links. Fixing broken links improves user experience, since visitors reach working destinations instead of errors. Prioritise fixing broken links to keep your site pleasant and functional for users.
Support SEO with link maintenance. Since broken links can harm SEO, maintaining working links supports your search performance. Regular broken link checking and fixing is a good practice for both users and SEO.
Combine with other SEO tools. For site health and SEO, our Keyword Position Checker, Meta Tag Generator, and other tools help you maintain and optimise your site.

Common Broken Link Mistakes to Avoid

Ignoring broken links. Broken links harm user experience and can hurt SEO, so ignoring them lets these problems persist and accumulate. When you find broken links, address them, fixing or removing each, rather than ignoring dead links that frustrate users and can affect your site's search performance over time.
Not checking regularly. Broken links accumulate over time as linked content changes, so checking only once is not enough. Not checking regularly means new broken links go unnoticed and unfixed. Check your site for broken links regularly, so you catch and fix new ones, maintaining healthy links on an ongoing basis rather than letting them build up.
Leaving broken links to errors. A broken link leads users to an error instead of content, and leaving it means visitors keep hitting that error. Rather than leaving broken links, fix them by correcting the link, or remove them if the content is gone, so users no longer encounter the error, improving their experience of your site.
Overlooking SEO impact. Broken links can negatively affect SEO, so overlooking their impact on search performance misses a reason to fix them. Recognise that broken links matter for SEO as well as users, and maintain working links to support your search performance, treating broken link fixing as part of good site and SEO maintenance.

For site health and SEO, our Keyword Position Checker tracks rankings, the Meta Tag Generator helps optimise pages, and other tools support your site.

Broken links found on a website for fixing

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check for broken links?

Enter your website or the page you want to check, and the tool checks the links, finding any that are dead or broken, meaning they do not lead to a working destination. See the broken links found, the ones that are dead or lead to errors, so you know which need fixing, note where they are, and fix each by correcting or removing it, so your site's links work. This lets you find and fix dead links on your site, improving user experience, since visitors reach working destinations instead of errors, and supporting SEO, since maintaining working links helps search performance. So checking for broken links helps you keep your site's links healthy, catching dead links so you can address them for better user experience and search quality.

What are broken links and why do they matter?

A broken link, or dead link, is a link that does not lead to a working destination, such as one pointing to a page that no longer exists or returns an error. Broken links arise when linked pages are moved, removed, or their addresses change, and are a common website problem. They matter for two main reasons. For user experience, clicking a broken link is frustrating, leading to an error instead of the expected content, which harms visitors' experience. For SEO, broken links can negatively affect how search engines view your site, since a well maintained site without broken links is better for search performance. So broken links matter because they frustrate users and can hurt SEO, making finding and fixing them important for a healthy, well performing website.

How do broken links affect SEO?

Broken links can negatively affect SEO because search engines favour well maintained sites, and a site with dead links may be viewed less favourably than one where links work. Broken links can signal poor maintenance and create a poor experience, which relates to how search engines assess site quality. So having broken links can be a negative for your search performance, while maintaining working links supports it. This is one of the two main reasons to fix broken links, alongside user experience. So by finding and fixing broken links, you help your site's SEO, keeping it well maintained with working links, which is better for search performance than leaving dead links that can harm how your site is viewed. So broken link maintenance is part of good SEO practice, supporting your site's search quality.

What is the difference between a working and a broken link?

The difference is simple: a working link leads to its intended, functioning destination, taking the user to the expected, existing content, while a broken link does not, leading instead to an error or nothing, because the destination no longer exists or is unreachable. So a working link fulfils its purpose, connecting to the content it points to, whereas a broken, or dead, link fails, giving the user an error or no content. A broken link checker distinguishes the broken links from the working ones on your site, showing you which links are broken and need attention. So you can find the broken links among the working ones, and fix them, either correcting them to point to a working destination or removing them, restoring a site where the links work as intended for your visitors.

What should I do with broken links I find?

When you find broken links, you should fix them, deciding for each whether to correct or remove it. If the linked content still exists but the link is wrong, such as pointing to an old address, correct the link to point to the working destination. If the linked content is gone entirely, remove the link, or point it somewhere appropriate, so it no longer leads to an error. So the goal is that no link leads users to an error. Fix broken links promptly, so users do not keep hitting errors and your site's link health and SEO are maintained. So for each broken link, take action, correcting or removing it, rather than leaving it broken. This restores working links, improving user experience and supporting SEO, keeping your site's links healthy and functional for visitors.

How often should I check for broken links?

You should check for broken links regularly, since broken links accumulate over time as linked content changes: pages get moved, removed, or their addresses change, creating new broken links. Checking only once is not enough, because new broken links can appear after any check. So regular checking is a good maintenance practice, letting you catch and fix new broken links as they arise, keeping your links healthy on an ongoing basis. How often depends on your site, such as how frequently its content and links change, but making broken link checking a regular part of your site maintenance ensures you find and fix dead links before they accumulate and cause problems. So rather than a one time check, treat broken link checking as an ongoing task, checking regularly to maintain working links over time for good user experience and SEO.

Who should check for broken links?

Anyone maintaining a website should check for broken links: website owners, who want their site healthy and working for visitors; developers, who check sites as part of maintenance or before launch; people focused on user experience, who want visitors to reach working destinations rather than errors; and people supporting SEO, since fixing broken links helps search performance. So if you own or maintain a website, checking for broken links is a valuable practice. Broken links harm both users and SEO and accumulate over time, so regularly finding and fixing them is good maintenance for any site. So website owners, developers, and anyone responsible for a site's quality, user experience, or SEO benefit from checking for broken links, keeping the site's links working well for both visitors and search engines.

Is the broken link checker free?

Yes, it is completely free with no account and no usage limit. You can check for broken links as often as you like, at no cost. It runs in your browser on any device, so there is nothing to download or install, and you see the broken links found when you check your site. Use it to find dead links on your website, so you can fix them for better user experience, since visitors reach working destinations instead of errors, and for SEO, since maintaining working links supports search performance. Remember to check regularly, since broken links accumulate over time, and to fix or remove each broken link you find, keeping your site's links healthy and working well.