Step-by-Step Guide
How to Find Broken Links on Your Website
Detect dead links, 404 errors, and redirect chains that hurt your SEO and user experience — with a free, instant scan.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Open the Broken Link Checker
Go to SerpNap's Broken Link Checker. It works in any browser with no downloads or account creation required.
Enter your page URL
Paste the URL of the page you want to scan. The tool will crawl all outbound and internal links found on that page.
Start the scan
Click scan and wait while the tool checks every link on the page. It tests each URL's HTTP status code to identify broken, redirected, and healthy links.
Review broken links (4xx/5xx errors)
Links returning 404 (Not Found), 410 (Gone), or 500 (Server Error) status codes are flagged. These are your priority fixes — they create dead ends for users and waste crawl budget.
Check redirect chains
Links that redirect (301/302) are highlighted. Single redirects are fine, but chains of 2+ redirects slow page load and dilute link equity.
Fix or remove broken links
Update broken links to point to the correct URL, replace them with relevant alternatives, or remove them entirely. For redirects, update links to point to the final destination URL.
Ready to Find Broken Links?
Use SerpNap's Broken Link Checker — free, instant, no signup required.
Open Broken Link CheckerWhy It Matters
Broken links create a poor user experience and signal neglect to search engines. Google's crawler wastes budget following dead links instead of indexing your valuable content. Studies show that pages with broken outbound links can rank lower than equivalent pages with all-healthy links. Fixing broken links is one of the fastest SEO wins available.
Pro Tips
- Check your most important pages first — homepage, top landing pages, and key product/service pages.
- Set a quarterly reminder to scan for broken links, as external sites can change or go offline at any time.
- For links pointing to removed pages on your own site, set up 301 redirects to the most relevant replacement page.
- Use the anchor text of the broken link to find a suitable replacement — search for the topic and link to an updated resource.
- Pay special attention to links in your navigation and footer — these appear on every page and multiply the impact of any broken link.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do broken links affect SEO?
Broken links waste crawl budget, create poor user signals (high bounce rate from 404 pages), and can prevent link equity from flowing through your site. Google has confirmed that extensive broken links indicate a poorly maintained site.
What is the difference between a 404 and a 410?
A 404 means 'Not Found' (the page might return later), while a 410 means 'Gone' (permanently removed). Google processes 410s faster for deindexing. Use 410 when you've intentionally removed a page with no replacement.
How often should I check for broken links?
At minimum quarterly. External websites change frequently — pages get moved, domains expire, and content gets reorganized. High-traffic sites should check monthly.
Can broken links on external sites hurt my SEO?
Yes. Linking to broken external pages hurts user experience and can signal poor content quality to search engines. Regularly verify that your outbound links still work.
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