What the broken link check finds
- Broken internal links — to pages of your site that do not exist (404, 410) or return a server error.
- Broken external links — to other sites that disappeared, changed address or are unavailable.
- Source pages — where exactly each broken link is, so it is easy to fix.
- Redirects — links that go through redirects and are better replaced with the final address.
- Unavailable for checking — sites that refuse automated requests (403, 429) or did not respond in time.
How broken links do harm
How the check works
First we open the start page, collect internal links from it and follow them breadth-first, up to 20 pages and three levels deep. From all the opened pages we collect links (internal and external), and then check the response of each unique address (up to 200) without downloading their content in full. We follow redirects up to three steps. We do not open private and local addresses.
What to do about broken links
- If a page has been moved, set up a 301 redirect to it from the old address and update the links.
- If the page no longer exists, remove the link or replace it with a current one.
- For a broken external link, find a new source or remove the link.
- If a broken link sits in the menu or footer, one fix removes dozens of such errors at once.
More about page links
The external links of a single page with a breakdown of nofollow and hidden ones are shown by the outbound links checker. Links pointing to your site are checked by the backlink checker, and whether pages are blocked from indexing is shown by Robots.txt Checker.
Limits of the check
We crawl up to 20 pages and do not run JavaScript, so links created by scripts and pages beyond this limit do not get into the report. If the site is bigger, check individual sections by entering their address. The result is a snapshot of this moment: a site may have been temporarily unresponsive.
What else StayIndexed can do
This page is a free tool from the StayIndexed service. In your account you can save a list of sites, check them in one click and see when new broken links appear (this is free too), while the service’s main job is to track how your pages do in Google.
How much it costs
The check is free, both on this page and in your account. Tokens are used to pay for the other services: indexing, speed and backlinks cost 3 tokens per check. 30 tokens are credited at sign-up, no card required.
Frequently asked questions
How do I find broken links on a site?
Enter the site address in the form above: we will crawl up to 20 of its pages, check internal and external links and show broken ones together with the pages where they are.
What are broken links?
These are links that lead to a page that does not open: a 404 or 410 error, a server failure or a domain that no longer exists.
Do broken links hurt SEO?
There is no direct penalty, but they waste the crawl budget, spoil the user experience and create the impression of an abandoned site, which indirectly affects rankings.
How many pages of a site are checked?
Up to 20 pages at a time and up to 200 unique addresses. For a bigger site, run the check from the addresses of individual sections.
Why are some links marked as unavailable for checking?
Some sites reject automated requests (code 403, 429 or 999), although they open in a browser. We do not consider such links broken and show them separately.
How much does the broken link check cost?
Nothing: the check is free both on this page and in your StayIndexed account. In your account you can save a list of sites, check them in one click and see the change history.