What is a broken link and what causes them?
A broken link (also called a dead link) is a URL that returns an error instead of a live page. The most common error is 404 Not Found — the server received the request but couldn't find the page.
Other error types:
- 410 Gone: The page was permanently removed (more explicit than 404).
- 500 Server Error: The server crashed while processing the request.
- Timeout: The server never responded within the allowed time.
Common causes of broken links:
1. Page was deleted without setting up a redirect.
2. URL structure changed (e.g., during a site migration or CMS switch) without redirects.
3. Typos in the URL when the link was first created.
4. External site went offline or removed the page you linked to.
5. Domain expired or changed ownership.
6. HTTPS migration that broke HTTP links.
7. Renamed files or folders on the server.
How broken links hurt your SEO
1. Poor user experience
When a user clicks a link and lands on a 404 page, they're frustrated. If there's no helpful 404 page directing them elsewhere, they leave your site entirely — increasing bounce rate and reducing session time, which are negative engagement signals.
2. Wasted crawl budget
Google has a limited amount of time it spends crawling your site (called crawl budget). If Googlebot follows dozens of broken internal links, it wastes crawl time on dead ends instead of discovering and indexing your actual content.
3. Lost link equity (PageRank)
When an external site links to one of your pages and you delete that page without a redirect, the PageRank (SEO authority) from that inbound link is lost. The link still exists in the other site's HTML, but it points to a 404 and transfers no value.
4. Crawl errors in Search Console
Google Search Console reports 404 errors prominently. A large number of 404s is a signal of poor site maintenance and can lead to important pages being de-prioritized for crawling.
Internal vs. external broken links
Internal broken links are links within your own site that point to other pages on your site. These are the most critical to fix because:
- You have full control over them.
- They directly affect how Google crawls and indexes your site.
- They pass (or fail to pass) link equity within your own site.
External broken links are links from your pages to other websites. These are less harmful to your SEO because:
- Google understands that external sites change over time.
- They don't affect your crawl budget the same way.
- But they DO hurt user experience — clicking a link that leads to a dead page creates frustration.
Inbound broken links (broken links FROM other sites pointing TO your site) are the most damaging in terms of lost link equity, but you can only fix these by setting up redirects on your side.
How to fix broken links
Once you find broken links, there are three approaches:
1. Update the link
If the page moved to a new URL, just update the link to point to the new location. Simplest fix for internal links.
2. Set up a 301 redirect
A 301 redirect automatically sends visitors (and Googlebot) from the broken URL to a working page. This preserves most of the link equity.
# Apache .htaccess example
Redirect 301 /old-page /new-page# Nginx example
rewrite ^/old-page$ /new-page permanent;3. Remove the link
If the destination page is permanently gone and there's no good replacement, remove the link or replace it with a note explaining the resource is no longer available.
What NOT to do:
Don't just ignore 404 errors indefinitely. Don't create redirect chains (A → B → C → D) — they slow down crawling and dilute link equity. Always redirect to the most relevant live page.
Creating a helpful 404 page
No matter how vigilant you are, some 404s are inevitable — especially from old external links. A well-designed 404 page turns a dead end into a usable experience.
A good 404 page should:
- Clearly explain that the page wasn't found (in plain language, not just "Error 404").
- Have your site navigation so users can find their way.
- Include a search box.
- Link to popular or relevant pages.
- Match your site's design (not a default server error page).
What not to do: Don't make your 404 page return a 200 HTTP status (called a "soft 404"). Google recognizes this as deceptive and may de-index those pages or treat your entire site as less reliable.
Finding broken links: tools and methods
Screaming Frog SEO Spider (free up to 500 URLs): Crawls your entire site like Googlebot and lists all broken links by page. The industry-standard tool for technical SEO audits.
Google Search Console: Reports 404 and other errors under "Coverage" and "Page Indexing." Shows which Googlebot-discovered pages are returning errors.
Ahrefs / SEMrush / Moz: Paid tools that monitor broken backlinks (external sites linking to your 404 pages) — critical for recovering lost link equity.
Broken Link Checker plugins: For WordPress sites, plugins like Broken Link Checker (free) scan your content periodically and alert you to new broken links.
Browser extensions: Can check all links on the current page you're viewing, without running a full site crawl. Fast for spot-checking individual pages.
Hawk Eye does this instantly
Hawk Eye's Link Checker fetches every internal and external link on the current page and tests each one in real time — using a 5-second timeout per request. It reports exactly which links are OK (with a count) and lists every broken or failed link with its URL and error reason, all running entirely in your browser with no third-party service.
Add Hawk Eye to Chrome — FreeKey Takeaways
- Broken links cause 404 errors that frustrate users, waste crawl budget, and lose link equity.
- Internal broken links are the most important to fix — you have full control and they directly affect crawling.
- Fix broken links by updating the URL, setting a 301 redirect, or removing the link.
- Create a helpful 404 page with navigation and search so users can recover from dead ends.
- Monitor broken links regularly using Google Search Console, Screaming Frog, or a browser extension.