How to Find and Fix Broken Links
Broken links are hyperlinks that lead to pages that no longer exist. They return 404 errors and create a poor experience for both users and search engines. Fixing broken links improves your SEO, preserves link equity, and keeps visitors on your site.
How to Find Broken Links
- Use RankNibbler's broken link checker — enter any URL and it checks every link on the page for 404s, timeouts, and redirects
- Google Search Console — the Pages report shows URLs returning 404 errors
- Run a site audit — crawl your entire sitemap and check each page
Types of Broken Links
| Status | Meaning | Action |
|---|---|---|
| 404 | Page not found | Update the link or set up a 301 redirect |
| 410 | Gone permanently | Remove the link or redirect to alternative content |
| 500 | Server error | Fix the server issue if it is your site |
| Timeout | No response | The target server may be down temporarily |
| 301/302 | Redirect | Not broken, but update to point directly to the final URL |
How to Fix Broken Links
Option 1: Update the link
If the destination page has moved, update the href to point to the new URL. This is the simplest fix for internal links.
Option 2: Set up a 301 redirect
If you cannot change the link (e.g. it is on someone else's site), set up a 301 redirect from the old URL to the new one.
Option 3: Remove the link
If the content is truly gone with no equivalent, remove the link entirely.
Option 4: Create replacement content
If a deleted page had significant traffic or backlinks, create a new page covering the same topic and redirect the old URL to it.
Preventing Broken Links
- Run the broken link checker monthly
- Always set up redirects when you change URLs
- Check external links periodically — other sites change their URLs too
- Use relative URLs for internal links when possible
Check your site now: Run a free audit on the RankNibbler homepage to see how your page scores across 30+ SEO checks.
Last updated: March 2026