Broken links & why they matter
What broken links are, why they're bad for your business and search rankings, and how we find and fix them.
A broken link is a link on your website that leads nowhere — the page it points to no longer exists or has moved. They're more common than you might think, and they cause real problems. This guide explains what they are and how we handle them.
Quick summary
Broken links frustrate visitors and signal to search engines that your site is poorly maintained. We run regular automated scans to catch broken links before they become a problem, and we fix them as part of your care plan.
What is a broken link?
When someone clicks a link on your website and gets an error message — typically something like "Page not found" or a "404 error" — that's a broken link.
The link might be broken because:
- The page it pointed to was deleted or moved
- You changed the URL (web address) of a page
- An external website you linked to removed or changed their page
- The link was typed incorrectly when it was added
Why broken links matter
You might think a few broken links are a minor nuisance. But they cause real harm:
For your visitors:
- They hit a dead end and get frustrated
- They lose trust in your site
- They may leave entirely without finding what they came for
For your search rankings:
- Search engines like Google crawl (visit) your site to understand its content
- When they encounter broken links, it signals a poorly maintained site
- Too many broken links can hurt your ranking in search results
For your business:
- A broken link on a product page could mean a lost sale
- A broken link in your navigation menu means visitors can't reach that section
- Broken links in old emails or social media posts that pointed to your pages stay broken forever unless fixed
Types of broken links
There are two main types:
Internal broken links
Links from one page on your site to another page on your site that no longer exists.
Most common cause: You deleted or renamed a page, but the old links still point to the original URL.
External broken links
Links from your site to other websites, where that external page has been removed or moved.
Most common cause: The external website changed their content or removed a page. You have no control over this, which is why regular checks are needed.
How we find broken links
We use automated tools that crawl your website — visiting every page and checking every link — the same way a search engine does. The tool reports any link that returns an error.
These checks run on a regular schedule. After each scan, we review the results and fix any genuine broken links.
Not all errors are broken links
Some links show as errors in scanning tools but are actually fine — for example, links behind a login or certain third-party embeds. We review results carefully and only fix real problems.
How we fix broken links
Once we identify a genuine broken link, the fix depends on the type:
- Internal broken links — we update the link to point to the correct current page, or add a redirect (an automatic forwarding rule) from the old URL to the new one
- External broken links — we update or remove the link. If the external content was important, we find an equivalent replacement to link to instead
What you can do to prevent broken links
The main cause of internal broken links is changing or deleting pages without updating other links. A few habits that help:
- Before deleting a page, search your site for any links pointing to it
- When you change a page's URL, set up a redirect from the old URL to the new one
- Let us know if you plan to make significant structural changes to your site's pages
Common questions
Related guides
- Why websites need maintenance
- Form testing
- What to check on your site monthly
- Your website health checklist
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