How to use the broken link checker
- Enter the URL of the page whose links you want to check.
- Wait while each link is requested; large pages can take up to about 40 seconds.
- Filter by problems or redirects and read the status, final URL and anchor text for each link.
- Download the CSV to fix links in your CMS.
Worked example
Checking https://example.com
The page has one link, "Learn more" to https://iana.org/domains/example. It is reported as a Redirect: it answers 200 after 2 redirects, ending at the IANA example domains help page, so the suggestion is to link directly to the final URL.
How it works
Our server fetches the page, extracts every <a href>, resolves relative URLs, drops mailto, tel, javascript and same-page fragments, and removes duplicates. Up to 100 links are checked with 6 in parallel: a HEAD request first, retried as a small GET when the server answers 403, 405 or 501. Redirects are followed and re-validated. Each link has an 8 second limit and the whole check a 40 second budget; unchecked links are reported as such.
Assumptions
- Links to private or reserved network addresses are not requested and are reported as not checked.
- A 403 or 429 can mean the site blocks automated requests rather than a truly broken link.
Frequently asked questions
Why is a link reported as 403 when it works in my browser?
Some sites block requests that do not come from a browser, or rate limit them. Open the link yourself before removing it.
Does it check my whole website?
No. It checks the links found on one page, up to 100 unique URLs, to keep checks fast and fair to the sites being requested.
Are redirects a problem?
A redirecting link still works, but updating it to the final URL saves a request for visitors and crawlers.
Do you store the URLs I check?
No results are stored. The URL is fetched from our server only to produce the report, and requests are rate limited per visitor to prevent abuse. Private, local and reserved network addresses are refused.
Limitations
- One page and up to 100 links per check.
- Links added by JavaScript are not found.
- Limited to 5 checks per visitor every 10 minutes.