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Free Broken Link Checker Online

Find broken links, dead URLs, and 404 errors on your website. Free dead link checker and 404 error finder with detailed reports showing exact HTML locations of broken links.

How to Check for Broken Links

Step-by-Step Process:

  1. 1
    Enter Website URL: Input your website's full URL including https://
  2. 2
    Start Link Check: Click the button to begin scanning your website
  3. 3
    View Results: Get detailed report with broken links and their exact locations

What Gets Checked:

  • Anchor Links: All <a href> links on your pages
  • Images: All <img src> image references
  • Resources: CSS, JavaScript, and other linked resources
  • External Links: Links to other websites

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the scanning work?

The tool automatically discovers and checks links throughout your website, starting from your homepage and following internal navigation.

What types of broken links are detected?

We detect 404 errors, server errors (5xx), timeouts, and other HTTP error codes for all link types including images and resources.

How long does it take?

The tool runs for up to 60 seconds and shows all results found within that time. Most sites get comprehensive results within this timeframe.

Are external links checked?

Yes, the tool automatically checks both internal and external links to provide comprehensive coverage of your website's link health.

What information do I get in the report?

You get the broken URL, HTTP status code, source page, line number in HTML, and link context for easy fixing.

Is the tool free to use?

Yes, completely free with no signup required. You can check unlimited websites and export results.

Advanced Link Checking Features

Deep Crawling

  • • Automatic website discovery
  • • Comprehensive link scanning
  • • Follows internal navigation
  • • Respectful scanning process

Error Detection

  • • 404 Not Found errors
  • • Server errors (5xx)
  • • Timeout detection
  • • Connection failures

Detailed Reports

  • • HTML line numbers
  • • Link context and text
  • • Source page information
  • • CSV export option

Why Fix Broken Links? (SEO & User Experience Impact)

SEO Damage from Broken Links

  • Lost link equity: Broken links waste valuable PageRank that could boost your other pages
  • Crawl budget waste: Google spends time crawling dead pages instead of your good content
  • Lower rankings: Google sees broken links as a sign of poor site maintenance
  • Deindexing risk: Too many 404 errors can signal to Google that your site is abandoned

User Experience Impact

  • High bounce rate: Users leave immediately when they hit a 404 page
  • Lost trust: Broken links make your site look unprofessional and outdated
  • Lost conversions: Visitors who can't navigate properly won't buy or sign up
  • Reduced time on site: Dead ends stop users from exploring your content

Best practice: Check your website for broken links at least once a month. External links break frequently as other websites change or go offline. Use our free broken link checker to stay on top of your site's link health.

What is a Dead Link? Understanding 404 Errors

A dead link (also called a broken link) is a hyperlink that points to a page or resource that no longer exists or cannot be reached. When a user or search engine bot clicks a dead link, they receive an error page instead of the expected content.

404 Not Found

The page was deleted or moved without a redirect. Most common type of broken link.

500 Server Error

The server encountered an error processing the request. Often caused by code bugs or server misconfigurations.

Timeout / No Response

The server took too long to respond. Could indicate the site is down or experiencing heavy load.

Common Causes of Broken Links

  • Page was deleted without setting up a redirect
  • URL was changed during site redesign
  • External website went offline or changed their URLs
  • Typo in the link URL when it was created
  • Domain name expired or was transferred
  • Content was moved to a different CMS or platform

More About Broken Link Checking

Do broken links hurt my SEO rankings?

Yes. Google has confirmed that broken links negatively impact user experience, which is a ranking factor. Sites with many 404 errors signal poor maintenance to search engines. Regularly checking for dead links helps maintain your search rankings and ensures Google can crawl your important pages efficiently.

How often should I check my website for broken links?

For active websites, check at least once per month. For e-commerce sites or sites with many external links, check weekly. After any major site redesign, migration, or content update, run a broken link check immediately to catch any newly created dead links.

What is a 404 error and how does it affect my website?

A 404 error means "Page Not Found" — the URL exists as a link somewhere but the destination page doesn't exist. This frustrates users who clicked expecting content, increases bounce rate, wastes Google's crawl budget, and can gradually lower your site's authority if left unfixed.

How do I fix broken links on my website?

For each broken link found: 1) If the page was moved, set up a 301 redirect to the new URL. 2) If the page was deleted, either restore it, redirect to a relevant page, or remove the link. 3) For broken external links, find an alternative source or remove the link. Our report shows the exact page and line number where each broken link appears.

What's the difference between internal and external broken links?

Internal broken links point to pages within your own website — these are entirely within your control to fix. External broken links point to other websites that have changed or gone offline — for these, you can either find an alternative URL, use the Wayback Machine to find archived versions, or remove the link entirely.