Broken links checker

What is the Broken links checker?

The Broken links checker examines a page URL and checks the links that lead out of it to see whether those destinations still work. Every outbound link on the page is followed to its target, and the responses are recorded so you can see at a glance which links are healthy and which are broken. The result is a report of the page's outgoing links and their status.

A broken link is a link that no longer reaches working content, typically returning a not-found or server error. These failures appear over time as external sites shut down, move pages, or change their structure. Because you cannot discover them by reading your own page, a checker that actually follows the outbound links is the reliable way to find them before your visitors do.

For a site that relies on outbound links as part of its value, such as resource pages, citation-heavy articles, or curated lists, the health of those links is part of the page's quality. A page that sends visitors to working, relevant destinations is genuinely more useful than one that lets its links decay, and the checker is the practical tool for keeping that standard.

What the Broken links checker does

The tool starts from the page URL you enter. It retrieves the page and identifies the links contained in it, then checks each of those outbound URLs to see how the target responds. Each destination is tested, and the outcome is reported so you can tell which links are functioning and which are failing.

The output organizes the results by the links found on the page. For each outbound link the tool indicates whether the destination responded successfully or returned an error, giving you a concrete list of problem links to work through. Rather than reading the page yourself and manually guessing at each destination, you get a status for every link in one pass.

The check reflects the state of the links at the time it runs. A destination that is temporarily unavailable may show as broken in one run and healthy in another, so the tool is best used as a point-in-time snapshot that you can repeat after making fixes to confirm the page is clear.

Because the page is processed server-side, you do not need to open the page yourself or inspect its source. You supply the URL, and the server handles retrieving the page, extracting the links, and checking each one, so the whole audit happens in a single step from your side.

The report is meant to be acted on, not just read. Each outbound link is listed with the outcome of its check, so you can work through the results in order, fix the failing links, and then re-run the check to watch the list shrink. That loop turns the tool from a diagnostic into part of the maintenance routine.

Because the check focuses on outgoing links, it complements the work you already do on your own pages. Your site's health includes where it points as well as what it serves, and a page whose outbound links are all working presents a consistent, dependable experience end to end.

Checking is fast enough to make part of a regular routine rather than a one-off audit. Running the check on a page after any significant edit gives quick assurance that the links on that page are still healthy, so problems never get the chance to linger.

How to use the Broken links checker

Checking a page takes just a few moments. The steps below walk you through running a check on a page you want to audit.

1. Copy the full URL of the page whose outbound links you want to check from your address bar or content management system.
2. Paste the page URL into the input field on the tool page, making sure it is complete with its protocol.
3. Submit the form so the page is posted to the server and its outbound links are checked.
4. Review the results that come back, noting which destinations are responding and which are broken.
5. Fix or remove the broken links on the page, then re-run the check to confirm the issue is resolved.

How to get better results

• Check pages that contain many outbound links, such as resource roundups and articles with heavy citations, since those are the pages most likely to accumulate broken links.
• Re-run the check after editing a page, so any links you added or changed are verified rather than assumed to work.
• Distinguish between a link that is permanently broken and one that is temporarily down, and re-check before removing a link that may recover.
• Prioritize fixing broken links on your most visited pages, since the impact of a dead link is largest where traffic is highest.
• Keep a list of pages you have checked and revisit them on a schedule so broken links do not quietly accumulate between audits.
• Watch for broken links to external sites in particular, since you cannot fix those destinations and must update your own link instead.
• When replacing a broken link, look for a working equivalent before simply removing it, since a useful alternative preserves the page's value.

Why the Broken links checker matters

Broken links are a quiet form of page decay. A page that looks well maintained can still send visitors to dead pages, and each broken link is a small failure of the promise your content makes. For search engines, outbound links are part of how a page is evaluated, and a page filled with broken outbound links signals neglect that can weigh against it in a competitive landscape.

Keeping outbound links healthy also protects your visitors' trust and the value of the links themselves. A resource page that sends readers to working, relevant destinations earns repeat visits and credibility, while one that sends them to errors erodes both. Regular checks with a tool make this maintenance practical, because manually following every outbound link on a content-heavy site is simply not feasible.

The tool also turns a vague concern into an actionable list. Instead of wondering whether a page's links are still valid, you get a concrete report you can work through, fix, and verify. That loop of checking, fixing, and re-checking is what keeps a page's outbound profile healthy over the long term rather than at a single moment in time.

For content that lives long after it is published, the check provides ongoing assurance. Articles and resource pages often stay live for years, and their links decay silently in that time. A periodic check means those pages keep delivering on their promise instead of quietly losing value with every dead link they accumulate.

When to use the Broken links checker

• When you have just published or updated a page with a long list of outbound links and want to confirm they all work.
• When a page is a key entry point for traffic, and you want to make sure its outbound experience is solid.
• When you are doing a content audit and want to clean up pages that may have accumulated dead links over time.
• When an external site you link to has been redesigned or shut down, and you need to find out which of your links were affected.
• When a reader or client reports that a link on your page is not working, and you want to identify the extent of the problem.

Related SEO Tools

Complete your SEO workflow with these related free tools:

• SERP checker - Get the top search engine results for a keyword.
• Indexed pages checker - Check if a domain is indexed by search engines.
• Website status checker - Check the status and availability of a website. Verify a site is online and responding before sharing or monitoring it.
• SSL checker - Check the SSL status and information of a domain. Review certificate validity, issuer, and expiry for a site.

Related SEO Guides

Learn more about this topic with our in-depth guides:

• How to Fix Broken Links and 404 Errors on Your Website
• How to Find and Fix Broken Internal Links
• Backlink Analysis: How to Find, Evaluate, and Build Quality Links

Frequently asked questions

What counts as a broken link?

A link counts as broken when its destination does not deliver usable content, such as a page returning a not-found error or a server failure. Links that lead to error responses rather than a valid page are flagged as broken by the check.

Does the tool check links on any page I provide?

The tool checks the outbound links found on the page URL you enter. You provide the page, and the server retrieves it, extracts its links, and checks each destination.

Can I check an entire site at once?

The tool is focused on the outbound links of a single page URL. For a full site-wide link audit you would check each page, since this tool targets the links leaving the page you specify.

How often should I check my pages for broken links?

It depends on how often the pages change and how many external links they carry. Pages with many outbound links deserve more frequent checks, and re-checking after any edit is a good habit.

Do I need to fix broken links immediately?

Fixing them promptly is best, especially on popular pages. Each broken link is a lost opportunity for a visitor to continue through your content, so clearing them quickly keeps the page working as intended.

How many broken links will the tool find on a typical page?

It depends on the page and the age of its links. Fresh pages often have no broken links, while older resource pages can accumulate several over time. The tool reports exactly what it finds, so the result matches the current state of the page.