Free Broken Links Checker ▶ Find Dead Links Quickly

Broken Link Checker

Enter a URL

About Broken Link Checker

Have you ever clicked on a link and been met with a 404-error message?

It's frustrating, right? Well, broken links can be just as frustrating for website owners. Not only do they make for a poor user experience, but they can also negatively impact a website's search engine rankings. That is where a broken links finder comes in handy.

In this blog post, we will explore what broken links are, why they matter, and how a broken links finder can help you find and fix them on your website.

What Does a Broken Link Means?

A broken link, also known as a dead link, is a link on a webpage that no longer works because the webpage or resource it is pointing to has either been removed or moved to a new location.

This can happen for a variety of reasons, such as the webpage being deleted or the website undergoing a redesign and changing its URL structure. When a user clicks on a broken link, they will typically see an error message or be redirected to a page that informs them that the link is not working.

Broken links can be frustrating for users and can also negatively impact the search engine rankings of a website, so it is important for website owners to regularly check for and fix broken links on their sites.

Broken Links Example

Imagine you are browsing the internet and come across a webpage that has a link to an article about a new product that was just released. You click on the link, but instead of loading the article, you are taken to a page that says "404 Error: Page Not Found." This means that the article or resource that the link was pointing to no longer exists or has been moved to a new location.

Another example of a broken link might be if you click on a link to a webpage and are taken to a page that says "Domain Not Found" or "This site can't be reached." This could mean that the website's domain has expired or the website has been taken down for some other reason.

In both examples, the link is broken because it is no longer working and does not lead to the intended destination.

What Causes a Broken Link?

There are several reasons why a link on a webpage might become broken:

The webpage or resource that the link is pointing to has been removed or deleted. The webpage or resource has been moved to a new location and the link has not been updated to reflect the new URL.

The website has undergone a redesign and the URL structure has changed, resulting in broken links to old URLs. The domain name of the website has expired and the website is no longer available.

The website is experiencing technical issues that are preventing it from being accessed. The link was typed incorrectly or is outdated, resulting in a broken link.

It is important to regularly check for and fix broken links on a website to ensure that the website is functioning properly and providing a good user experience for visitors.

What Is a Broken Links Finder?

A broken link finder is a tool that helps website owners find and identify broken links on their websites. These tools can be useful for identifying and fixing broken links that may be affecting the user experience, search engine rankings, and credibility of a website.

To use a onlineseotool broken links finder, you typically enter the URL of your website into the tool and it will scan the site to identify any broken links. The tool will then provide a list of all the broken links it has found, along with the specific page and location of each broken link.

From there, you can go through the list and fix the broken links by updating them to point to the correct location or removing them from the website.

Dead link finder can save website owners a lot of time and effort by automating the process of identifying and fixing broken links and can help improve the user experience, search engine rankings, and credibility of a website

Why Finding and Fixing Broken Links is Important?

There are several reasons why finding and fixing broken links is important:

Dead links can negatively affect the user experience by causing frustration and potentially leading users to leave your site.
They can also impact search engine rankings, as search engines may not be able to index the content on a page with a broken link.
Trust and credibility can also be damaged if a user clicks on a link and is taken to a 404 error page.
To ensure that your website is functioning properly and providing a good user experience, it is important to regularly check for and fix broken links as part of website maintenance

What to do if a link is broken?

If you have a dead link on a website that you manage, you can fix the link by updating the URL to the correct one. If you are trying to access a link and it is broken, there are a few things you can try:

Check the spelling and formatting of the URL. Make sure that it is correct and try accessing it again.
Try accessing the link at a later time. The website or page may be temporarily down for maintenance or experiencing technical issues.
Use a search engine to search for the content you were trying to access. You may be able to find it on a different website.
If the link is from an external source, such as an email or a social media post, you may want to contact the person who provided the link and ask them for an updated link.
If you are unable to access the link and none of the above suggestions help, it is possible that the webpage or website has been permanently removed or moved to a new URL. In this case, you may not be able to access the content.

How do I find broken links?

There are a few ways you can find broken links on a website:

Manually check the website: You can manually check for dead links by navigating through the pages of the website and clicking on each link to ensure that it is working.
Use a web browser extension: Broken Link Checker Chrome browser extensions that can help you find broken links on a website. Some popular options include Check My Links for Chrome and Link Checker for Firefox.
Use Onlineseotool.net: Online tools that can help you find broken links on a website. Some options include Free Broken Link Checker and W3C Link Checker.
Use a site crawler: A site crawler is a tool that scans a website and generates a report of all the links on the site. You can use a site crawler to find broken links on a website. Some popular options include Screaming Frog and Deep Crawl.
Use Google Search Console: If you have registered your website with Google Search Console, you can use the "Coverage" report to find broken links on your site. The report will show you any pages that Google was unable to crawl due to errors.

Compare Broken Link and Dead Link

A broken link is a link that is not working properly and leads to an error page or a page that does not exist. This can happen for a variety of reasons, such as a change in the URL structure of the website, a type in the link, or a problem with the server.

some examples of broken links

A link that leads to an error page, such as a 404 "Page Not Found" error:

<ahref="http://www.example.com/page-does-not-exist">Click here</a>

A link that leads to a page that exists, but the link is formatted incorrectly:

<ahref="http://www.exampl.com/page">Click here</a>

A link that leads to a page that is temporarily down or experiencing technical issues:

<ahref="http://www.example.com/page">Click here</a>

What is Dead Link?

A dead link is a link that used to lead to a valid webpage or website, but the content has been removed or the website is no longer active. Dead links can be the result of website updates, changes in ownership, or the expiration of a domain name.

Both broken links and dead links can be frustrating for users and can negatively impact the user experience. It is important to regularly check for and fix broken links on your website, and to update or remove dead links as needed.

Here are some examples of dead links:

A link that used to lead to a page on a website that no longer exists:

Example:

<ahref="http://www.example.com/page">Click here</a>

A link that used to lead to a webpage or website that has been removed or moved to a new URL:

Example:

<ahref="http://www.example.com/page">Click here</a>

A link that leads to a webpage or website that is no longer active due to changes in ownership or the expiration of a domain name:

Example:

<ahref="http://www.example.com/page">Click here</a>

You can deadlink using onlineseotool dead link checker

What do Error 404 mean?

A 404 error is a message that is displayed when a webpage or website cannot be found. It is a common error message that appears when a user tries to access a webpage that does not exist or has been moved.

The 404 error message is displayed in the browser window and typically includes the text "404 Error" or "404 Not Found". It may also include a brief message explaining that the requested webpage or website could not be found.

The 404 error is named after the HTTP status code that is returned by the server when the webpage or website is not found. HTTP status codes are used to indicate the status of a request made to a server. The 404 error code indicates that the requested resource could not be found on the server.

If you see a 404 error message when trying to access a webpage or website, it means that the webpage or website is no longer available or has been moved to a new URL. You may be able to find the content you were looking for by using a search engine or by contacting the website owner for an updated link.

Here is an example of a 404 error message:

404 Error

The requested webpage or website could not be found.

Here is another example of a 404 error message with a more detailed explanation:

404 Not Found

The requested URL was not found on this server.

If you entered the URL manually, please check your spelling and try again.

If you believe you have reached this page in error, please contact the website administrator.

The exact content and formatting of the 404 error message may vary depending on the website and the server that it is hosted on. Some websites may include additional information or suggestions for finding the content you were looking for.

Is an Error 404 Bad?

A 404 error is not necessarily a "bad" thing, but it can be frustrating for users if they are trying to access a webpage or website and cannot find it. This can lead to a poor user experience, especially if the user is unable to find the content they were looking for.

If you are seeing 404 errors on your own website, it is important to identify the cause and fix the issue to improve the user experience for your visitors. If you are trying to access a webpage or website and are seeing a 404 error, it may be because the webpage or website has been moved or deleted. In this case, you may be able to find the content you were looking for by using a search engine or by contacting the website owner for an updated link.

Causes of 404 Error:

There are several causes of 404 errors:

A type or mistake in the URL: This is a common cause of 404 errors. If the URL is typed incorrectly or the link is formatted incorrectly, it can lead to a 404 error.
The webpage or website has been moved or deleted: If the webpage or website has been moved to a new URL or has been deleted, the old URL will lead to a 404 error.
The domain name has expired: If the domain name for a website has expired, the website will no longer be accessible and will result in a 404 error.
Changes to the website's URL structure: If the structure of the URLs on a website has changed, old URLs may lead to 404 errors.
Server issues: If the server that the website is hosted on is experiencing technical issues, it can result in 404 errors.
Incorrectly configured redirects: If redirects are set up incorrectly, they can lead to 404 errors.
Misconfigured DNS settings: Incorrect DNS settings can cause 404 errors.

How do I fix error 404?

There are a few steps you can take to fix a 404 error:

Check the spelling and formatting of the URL: Make sure that the URL is typed correctly and that it is properly formatted.
Try accessing the link later: The webpage or website may be temporarily down for maintenance or experiencing technical issues.
Use a search engine to search for the content you were trying to access: You may be able to find the content on a different website.
If the link is from an external source, such as an email or a social media post, you may want to contact the person who provided the link and ask them for an updated link.
If you are the website owner and are seeing 404 errors on your site, you will need to identify the cause of the error and fix it. This may involve updating the URL structure, setting up redirects, or fixing server issues.