Broken links

If your blog post has not been reviewed in a couple of years, it’s worth checking that all the links you have on the page still work. Manually try them all out, and if you find one that no longer works, either replace it with an updated link or just amend that section so it makes sense without a link.Abby Webb

Have you ever stumbled onto a 404 page, staring at a “Page Not Found” message like it’s a digital Bermuda Triangle? Those pesky broken links are the culprits behind these unexpected detours. In this article, we’ll plunge into the realm of broken links, discover their causes, explore their impact on your website’s performance and user experience, untangle the mystery of these elusive errors, and briefly touch on the tools to hunt them down and fix them.

“Whoa, easy there! This post doesn’t delve deeply into the tools for hunting broken links; you’ll just give a nod to that aspect in the conclusion.”
“You’re right, I will not dive deep into these tools because I’ve taken the laborious route, testing each link manually ¹.”

Anyway, while this article won’t provide comprehensive guidance on those tools indeed, it will uncover the hidden world of broken links. Ready? Let’s dive in…

What are broken links?

A broken link, also known as a dead link, is a hyperlink that points to a webpage or resource (e.g., image) that no longer exists or cannot be accessed. When users—or search engine bots—follow these links, they typically encounter a 404 (Not Found) error. But it’s not the only 4xx status code that indicates a broken link (more on that in the text box below).

Broken links can occur for various reasons, such as:

Content Removal – If a page or resource (e.g., image, video) is removed or deleted, any links pointing to that content become broken. Users may see a missing image icon or encounter issues with file downloads, rather than a 404 error. Also, some pages could be lost or badly renamed during a website migration.

Page Moved or Renamed – If a page or resource is relocated without a proper URL redirect ², or if a page is renamed (whether intentionally or by accident), links pointing to the original URL will become broken. For instance, if you notice a typo in one of your pages and change the URL to correct it, without setting up a redirect, any links to the old URL will be broken.

Change in Website Structure – Changes in a website’s structure (e.g., folder organization) can break links if not properly redirected. Hard-coded links containing the full URL, instead of a relative path, are particularly vulnerable. For example, a page that moved from cogitactive.com/wordpress to cogitactive.com/website/wordpress could cause a 404 error if hard-coded links still point to the old URL.

Domain Name Change – If a website changes its domain name or the domain expires, links pointing to the old domain become broken. This ties into the Domain Name System (DNS), which acts as the phonebook of the internet. DNS translates domain names into IP addresses that browsers use to load internet resources.

Server Issues – Temporary or permanent server issues, such as downtime or misconfigurations, can render a webpage or resource inaccessible, causing broken links. For example, if a website undergoes regular maintenance and the server is temporarily taken offline, users may encounter broken links during that period. Similarly, if the website hosting the linked page is down, the desired content will be inaccessible.

Firewall or Geolocation Restriction – A link may not be broken for everyone, but might only be accessible from certain parts of the world. Sometimes, content is blocked internationally to comply with local laws. Of course, from the person trying to access the content, it will appear as an error.

Malfunctioning Plugins – Third-party plugins can cause broken links if the code isn’t maintained. This can result from an HTML or JavaScript error breaking elements on the page. In fact, any broken element within a page—plugin-related or not—can have a similar outcome.

Incorrectly Formatted URL – An incorrectly formatted URL can lead to a 400 Bad Request error. This error occurs because the server cannot understand the request due to an invalid URL format. For instance, omitting or mistyping the https:// component of the URL can lead to broken links.

Typographical Errors – Misspelling the URL of the page you’re linking to will cause the link to fail. This could be a simple typo or an extra space in the URL. Some web servers are case-sensitive, so if the case of a URL is not correctly specified, it can also result in broken links.

Both internal (within your website) and external (from your website to others) links can break, but their management and resolution differ significantly (see below). Internal links are within your control, so it’s your responsibility to ensure they are kept updated and functional. Regular audits and maintenance can help prevent internal broken links. External links, on the other hand, point to pages on other websites. While you can manage these links by choosing reliable sources and checking them periodically, you don’t have control over the external content. If those pages move, are deleted, or the external website undergoes changes, the links on your site can break.

Backlinks—the links from other websites to yours—present an even bigger challenge. If these links break, you may not be aware of them immediately. Monitoring tools can help you identify when someone links to your site, but you won’t have direct control over fixing those links. You can reach out to the webmaster of the linking site to request an update, but ultimately, it’s up to them to make the change.

The Impact of Broken Links…

Addressing broken links is crucial for maintaining a positive user experience and preserving the integrity of a website’s navigation structure. Additionally, search engines take into account the presence of broken links when assessing the overall health and relevance of a website for search rankings.GeeksforGeeks

Contrary to popular belief, broken links are actually not bad for your website.
“Really? I thought broken links can hurt SEO and user experience.”
Broken links will affect your Google Search results, however, they won’t impact your overall SEO.
“But what about the user experience then?”

The truth is that broken links are more than just minor annoyances; they can have significant repercussions for your website. Let me explain (and argue against the above two claims).

… on User Experience

Imagine navigating a website, eagerly clicking on a link, only to be greeted by a “Page Not Found” message. Frustrating, right? Broken links disrupt the user journey, leading to a poor user experience and potentially driving visitors away.

When users can’t access the content they were expecting, they often move on to a different site that can provide them with the information they need. Don’t expect them to try hard and use your internal search feature. Moreover, a user who leaves your site after having a bad experience isn’t likely to return in the future. There’s no getting around it—error 404 pages are bad.

Broken links can severely harm the user experience (UX). Because visitors often get frustrated by dead links, making them likely to leave—and possibly never come back.Sean Collins

Even worse than a broken link is a link to a website that causes harm through malware or phishing. Your visitors will not try to determine whether it’s your responsibility or not. Maybe the (external) link was legitimate when you added it, but now they click on something from your site and get infected. From their point of view, it’s that simple!

This will inevitably reduce your reputation.

It’s also important to keep in mind that user experience can have an indirect impact on your SEO. So a poor experience can further harm your rankings.

… on SEO

Because having some broken links is common, especially with external links and backlinks, search engines tend to be more forgiving than actual users. However, broken links can still impact your SEO in several ways.

Firstly, they halt search engine crawlers in their tracks, preventing Google, Bing, etc., from indexing the page properly. Google’s site crawlers (bots) navigate the web by following links between pages. When a bot encounters a broken link, it results in a crawl error; 404 pages are essentially dead ends for search engine crawlers. Thus, broken internal links hinder Googlebot’s ability to crawl your site, much like a lack of internal links would.

Broken internal links can have indirect results on your site’s SEO. Broken external and inbound links can also have more direct results, by suggesting to Google that your site is old and not maintained.Backlinko Team

Google’s Search Quality Rating Guidelines also use broken links to gauge a site’s quality. Google aims to recommend useful, up-to-date sites. A surplus of broken links can signal that your site is outdated or poorly maintained, negatively impacting its ranking. Furthermore, Google considers internal links a key ranking factor, emphasizing the importance of maintaining them. The more broken links your site has, the more significant the impact on your SEO.

Broken backlinks are a missed opportunity. Internal links pass authority (link equity) between connected pages on your site. However, when Page A links to a broken Page B, that authority doesn’t get transferred. Similarly, backlinks leading to 404 pages on your site could otherwise pass value and authority to live, relevant pages, enhancing their chances to rank—unless they are broken links.

Lastly, think about those frustrated users (referenced earlier) leaving your site at lightning speed due to broken links. This lowers their time on your site and increases your bounce rate, which is a major red flag for Google. Why are people leaving your pages so quickly? Is your content irrelevant to their search intent?

In conclusion, multiple broken links suggest poor website maintenance and hinder search engine crawling and indexing. Don’t underestimate the impact of a broken link since user experience is also a crucial factor affecting SEO.

What to do with broken links

Before diving in, it’s worth noting that as a webmaster, you have direct control over two types of links: internal and external. For internal links, there’s no doubt: fix them! Whether it’s a typo or a change in URL, take immediate action. Don’t forget about implementing 301 redirects.

External links are a bit more demanding. If there’s a typo, simply update the link. But what if the page is gone? Should you remove the link, investigate whether the page has been moved, or look for an alternative? The action depends on the link’s nature.

If the link is not critical for the article, I will simply remove it and update the text if necessary. I won’t waste time figuring out where the page has been moved or looking for alternatives if the content is no longer available. However, if the link is an important resource, I’ll take the time to investigate and update it accordingly. In cases where the page was deliberately deleted to hide something, I will use strategies like the Wayback Machine to access the deleted page, as I did in my article “gandi.net – disappointing and untrustworthy! – concl’d“.

“And what about the backlinks?”
“Oops, I almost forgot those…”

Fixing a broken backlink is not as straightforward as fixing a broken link on your site. You’ll generally need to contact the referring domain’s webmaster (if you find a way to do so) and ask him/her to update it. This assumes you’re even aware of its existence, which requires specific tools. There’s no guarantee the webmaster will fix it—unless he/she read this post and understands the importance of fixing broken links! 😉

Conclusion

Adding links to your website content provides valuable information to visitors, and helps crawlers index your content. However, non-working links are annoying and reflect poorly on your professionalism. They not only deter visitors from staying on and returning to your site, but they can also negatively impact your search engine rankings.

For external broken links, you might think, Alas, I have no control over such things; the website I am linking to can change the names and locations of their pages at any time without notice. This is no excuse. Several tools can help you identify these digital potholes. You don’t have to embark on an insane journey like mine, checking all links manually.

Manually reviewing your website’s content and clicking on each link to verify its functionality can be time-consuming, but it allows for a thorough inspection.GeeksforGeeks

As mentioned at the beginning of this article, I won’t delve into the tools available that can scan your website and identify broken links. However, here are a few options: Google Search Console, W3C Link Checker, or the Broken Link Checker by Ahrefs. Browser extensions like Check My Links for Google Chrome can help identify broken links on a webpage. If you’re using WordPress, plugins such as Broken Link Checker are also available.

Broken links are an inevitable part of managing a website, but they don’t have to be a major headache. By understanding their causes, regularly checking for them, and promptly fixing any issues, you can maintain a seamless and enjoyable user experience. Remember, a well-maintained website not only keeps your visitors happy but also boosts your SEO performance and enhances your brand’s reputation. So, roll up your sleeves and start hunting down those broken links today!

Coming Next: External links

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¹ If you follow this blog, you may know that I’m on a quest to ensure my website remains a seamless and engaging experience for all (see “Blog posts housekeeping“). This post marks the beginning of that journey. Manually reviewing each and every one of my past blog posts (to check for broken links, among other things) gives me a user’s perspective of the broken links experience—but it is pretty tedious. ^
² Common URL redirect types include 301 (moved permanently) and 302 (moved temporarily). They are used when you move a page to a new address to ensure that visitors and search engines are taken to the correct page (instead of the one they requested). ^
³ HTTP response status codes indicate whether a specific HTTP request has been completed. If you want to learn more about this topic, I encourage you to check the “HTTP response status codes” article from Mozilla. ^
⁴ The 5xx errors are trickier to directly associate with broken links. They often indicate deeper, server-side issues rather than the more straightforward client-side errors like 404 and 410. But when a link leads to a 5xx error, it’s still a “broken” link from the user’s perspective, disrupting their experience. ^
⁵ Search engines like Google use bots to crawl and index websites. When these bots encounter broken links, they may stop crawling your site, which can negatively impact your search engine rankings. ^