Why broken links hurt
A broken link sends visitors to an error page. It wastes the time of search engine crawlers and signals a neglected site. Pages change, sites close and addresses are mistyped, so links break over time even when you do nothing.
How the checker works
Enter a page address. The tool lists every link on the page, then visits each one and reports its HTTP status: working (200), redirected (301 or 302), not found (404), blocked (403) or server error (5xx). It shows internal and external links separately.
How to fix what you find
- 404 on your own page: restore the page, or redirect the old address to the closest live page.
- 404 on another site: remove the link or find the new address.
- Redirects: update the link to the final address to save a step.
- 403 or timeouts: some sites block automated checks. Open the link yourself before removing it.
How often to check
Check your most important pages monthly. To check the whole site automatically, run a site audit, which reports links that point to broken pages.