What is a broken link?
A broken link points to a page that no longer works. When someone clicks it, the server answers with an error such as 404 Not Found or 410 Gone, a 5xx server error, or no answer at all. Links also break when a domain expires, when a page moves without a redirect, or when a URL is typed wrong.
Do broken links hurt SEO?
A 404 on its own does not trigger a penalty. The damage comes from what broken links do to people and crawlers:
- Visitors hit dead ends. A reader who clicks a broken link often leaves, and a broken link on a service page can cost you a lead.
- Internal links stop passing value. When a page moves and the links to it are not updated, the new page loses the internal links that help it rank.
- Crawlers waste time. Search engines spend crawl time on URLs that go nowhere instead of on your live pages.
How to fix broken links
- Update the link to the correct live URL. This is the best fix for links on your own pages.
- Add a 301 redirect from the old URL to the closest live page when the page moved or merged, so links you do not control still work.
- Replace or remove external links that point to pages that are gone. A newer source or an archived copy usually works.
- Re-run the check after you publish, to confirm every fix.
Broken links, redirects and redirect chains
A redirect is not broken, but each extra hop adds a little delay, and long chains can stop crawlers before they reach the final page. When the checker shows a link that redirects, point the link straight at the final URL.
Why some links show as blocked
Some sites, such as large social networks, refuse automated requests and answer 403, 429 or 999 even when the page works in a browser. The checker lists these as Blocked rather than Broken, so you do not remove a good link by mistake.