Over time, websites accumulate broken links—pages get deleted, URLs change, and errors pile up in the code. As a result, visitors clicking such links see a "404: page not found" message and leave. Search engines perceive this as a sign of outdated content, causing the site's rankings to decline.
The most common error is 404 Not Found, which means "there's nothing here anymore." However, other status codes help diagnose the problem:
400 Bad Request: The request contains an error. It's like dictating an address with a typo, and your GPS can't calculate the route.
403 Forbidden: Access denied. The page exists, but the server won't let you view it—like trying to enter an exclusive club without an invitation.
410 Gone: The resource is permanently deleted. Unlike a 404 error, this status indicates the content won't return in the future.
500 Internal Server Error: Server-side problem. The issue isn't with your request but with the website itself.
503 Service Unavailable: Service temporarily unavailable. Usually due to overload or maintenance. Just wait and try again later.
Why Broken Links Appear
Dead links don't appear out of nowhere. Their emergence typically follows three scenarios:
Content deletion. A company stopped selling a product and removed its page, but links to it remained in old article compilations.
URL changes. During redesign or SEO optimization, the /services/prodvizhenie section URL might change to /prodvizhenie. Without proper redirection (redirect), old links become broken.
Human error. Typos when manually entering URLs are common. If users consistently make the same mistake, it's a signal for the webmaster.
Sometimes a site may be temporarily unavailable due to hosting issues, appearing to visitors as a broken link.
Why Regular Broken Link Removal Matters
Dead links signal a poorly maintained website, undermining its authority with both users and search engines.
Reduced audience loyalty. Users encountering a 404 error will likely close the tab and never return. This creates an impression of abandonment and unreliability.
Search engine penalties. For Yandex and Google robots, numerous broken links indicate low website quality. Consequently, rankings may drop in favor of better-maintained competitors.
AI algorithm neglect. Modern search engines actively use artificial intelligence to assess page relevance. Error-riddled sites will be recommended less frequently in search results.
Top 11 Tools for Finding Broken Links
Manually searching for broken links on a website with hundreds of pages is a herculean task. Special tools help automate and accelerate this process.
1. Broken Link Checker
An easy-to-use free extension for Google Chrome browser. This tool is invaluable for quickly checking landing pages or content before publication, whether it's a blog article, catalog page, or longread. After installation and clicking the plugin icon, it scans all links on the open page in seconds and highlights them with different colors:
- Green: working links, everything's fine
- Red: broken links requiring fixes
- Blue: redirects indicating redirection
For deeper analysis, check results can be exported as a CSV file. The report contains all necessary information: the URL itself, its status code (200, 404, 301, etc.), anchor text, and description. Such a file is convenient to share with developers or attach to an SEO audit.
Pros: Free, fast, convenient color coding, and export capability.
Cons: Functionality limited to one page at a time.
2. Google Search Console
Free tool from Google for webmasters. After adding your site and verifying ownership, you gain access to detailed analytics. The 404 error report is located in the "Pages" section.
Pros: Official data from the search engine, complete site overview, free.
Cons: Requires domain verification, information appears with delay.
3. Yandex Webmaster
Similar service from Yandex, essential for promotion in the Russian-speaking market. The list of pages with 404 errors can be found by navigating to "Indexing" → "Pages in Search," then selecting the "Excluded Pages" filter.
Pros: Free, shows the site through Yandex's eyes.
Cons: Also requires ownership verification and doesn't update data in real-time.
4. Screaming Frog SEO Spider
Professional desktop software for comprehensive SEO audits. The free version allows scanning up to 500 pages. To find broken links, start a scan and filter URLs with 4xx and 5xx errors in the "Response Codes" section.
Pros: Provides exhaustive information beyond just links.
Cons: Paid for large sites, interface may intimidate beginners.
5. Check My Links
Another useful Chrome browser extension. Functionally very similar to Broken Link Checker: quickly checks the active page and highlights non-working URLs.
Pros: Works out of the box, requires no complex setup.
Cons: Not suitable for comprehensive full-site analysis.
6. Xenu's Link Sleuth
Veteran Windows program that, despite its archaic appearance, still excellently performs its task. It's completely free and can scan even very large sites, producing a detailed report.
Pros: Absolutely free, no page limit.
Cons: Outdated design, available only for Windows users.
7. Siteliner
Online scanner that helps find duplicate content in addition to broken links. Free checking is limited to 250 pages, which may suffice for a small business card site or blog.
Pros: Comprehensive approach (links + duplicates).
Cons: Significant limitations in free version.
8. Dead Link Checker
Specialized online service for finding broken links. Allows checking both individual URLs and entire sites, then generates a simple, clear report.
Pros: No installation required, intuitively understandable.
Cons: Free plan has limitations.
9. Topvisor
Russian multifunctional SEO platform oriented toward professionals. Checking for broken links is just one of many functions. The service requires payment.
Pros: Powerful tool for comprehensive SEO audits and monitoring.
Cons: Paid, functionality is excessive for one-time checks.
10. Sitechecker
Another professional SEO platform with a wide range of tools, including site audits for dead links. Suitable for agencies and large projects.
Pros: Deep analytics and visual reports.
Cons: Requires paid subscription.
11. Wix Broken Link Checker
Simple and publicly accessible online tool from the creators of the popular website builder. Allows free checking of any site, regardless of which platform it's built on.
Pros: Completely free, no registration required, works for any website.
Cons: None identified.
What to Do with Found Errors? Step-by-Step Plan
Discovering broken links is only half the battle. The crucial part is fixing them properly. Follow a clear plan: analysis → problem identification → correction.
Step 1. Analysis and Prioritization
After receiving a report with broken links, don't rush to fix everything at once. First, assess the scale of the problem and determine which errors require immediate attention. Not all broken links are equally critical. Analyze each link to understand its value. Pay attention to how many visitors attempted to access it. This helps set priorities:
Popular page changed address (e.g., vashsait.ru/blog, 56 visits/month). You can't afford to lose such traffic. Solution: Set up a 301 redirect to the new URL vashsait.ru/articles.
Link to outdated content (e.g., vashsait.ru/summer-sale-2025, 0 visits/month). The page was created for a temporary promotion that already ended and holds no value. Solution: Remove all mentions and links to it from the site.
Link with typo in address (e.g., vashsait.ru/cataloge, 23 visits/month). The typo is obvious, but visitors still try to access the page. Solution: Set up a 301 redirect from the incorrect address to the correct vashsait.ru/catalog to avoid losing these users.
This approach allows you to concentrate efforts on genuinely important pages that bring traffic and avoid wasting resources on fixing links nobody needs.
Step 2. Fixing Typos
The simplest cause of a broken link is a basic typo in the URL that you or your content manager made when creating the page. In this case, simply correct the address.
It's more complex when users themselves make mistakes typing the address manually. If you notice people regularly trying to access a certain non-existent page (/contakts instead of /contacts), the best solution is setting up a redirect from it to the correct address.
Step 3. Setting Up Redirects
Redirection is the primary tool for fixing broken links caused by URL changes.
301 (permanent) redirect is used when a page has definitively and permanently "moved" to a new address.
302 (temporary) redirect is applied when a page is unavailable only temporarily (for example, during maintenance).
There are two main ways to set up redirection:
1. Editing the .htaccess File
This is an Apache web server configuration file typically located in the site's root folder. By adding special directives to it, you can configure complex redirection rules.
Example code for a 301 redirect from an old page to a new one:
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} vashsait.ru
RewriteRule ^old-page$ http://vashsait.ru/new-page [R=301,L]
Important: Cyrillic domains (for example, .рф) need to be converted to the special Punycode format for the .htaccess file using online converters.
2. Using CMS Plugins and Built-in Modules
This method is much simpler and safer for those who don't want to dive into code. Most content management systems have convenient tools for setting up redirects:
WordPress: Redirection plugin or built-in SEO plugin capabilities (Yoast, Rank Math).
Bitrix: Built-in "Redirects" section in the admin panel.
Tilda: In each page's settings, you can specify a new address for redirection.
What to Do with External Broken Links?
Sometimes other websites may link to a non-existent page on your site. Such links also harm your SEO. If you find such a link, contact the donor site's owner and ask them to update the URL.
First and foremost, fix external links that are genuinely important:
- Lead from authoritative and thematically relevant resources
- Bring real traffic to your site
- Point to important commercial pages (product cards, services, shopping cart)
If an obscure forum links to you or the link brings no traffic, spending time corresponding with the webmaster is likely not worthwhile.
Conclusion
Regular website checking for broken links isn't a one-time task but an essential part of technical site maintenance. Making this procedure a habit will not only improve user experience but also increase search engine trust, inevitably leading to better rankings and increased traffic.
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