Free Broken Link Checker
A dead link is a door that opens onto a wall. Visitors leave, and search engines stop following the path. Paste any page and we check up to 120 links, images, scripts and stylesheets in seconds, sorted into broken, redirecting, unverifiable and working. Free, with no sign-up.
Free · No sign-up · Nothing stored
What the broken link checker looks at
It reads your page and checks every resource it points to, not just the clickable links. A missing image or script breaks a page as surely as a dead link does.
| Type | What we check | What breaks when it fails |
|---|---|---|
| Links | Every link to your own pages and to other sites | Dead pages, deleted posts, typos |
| Images | Every image on the page | Missing pictures, moved uploads |
| Scripts | External JavaScript files | Broken features, missing analytics |
| Stylesheets | CSS files (and icons) | Unstyled or broken layout |
| Frames | Embedded iframes such as videos and maps | Empty boxes where content should be |
How a dead link checker decides what's broken
Every link gets an answer from the server it points to, a status code, and that code decides the verdict. Here's how the checker reads each one:
| Answer | What it means | Our verdict |
|---|---|---|
| 404 Not found | The page doesn't exist at that address | Broken |
| 410 Gone | The page was removed on purpose | Broken |
| 5xx Server error | The site failed while answering | Broken (re-check later) |
| Domain doesn't exist | The website itself is gone | Broken |
| 301 / 302 / 307 / 308 | The link sends you on to another address | Works, through a redirect |
| 999 / 403 / 429 | The site refuses automated checks | Couldn't verify |
| 200 OK | The link loads | Working |
Internal links are checked first, so if a page has more than 120 links, your own pages are never the ones left out.
Why some links can't be verified
Some large sites, social networks especially, block automated visitors and answer every check with a refusal, even when the page works fine in a browser. Calling those links broken would send you chasing problems that don't exist, so the checker puts them in their own group. If a link in that group matters, open it yourself.
Real result: one of our own guides
We ran the checker on our guide What Is a Broken Link?: 74 links, images, scripts and stylesheets, every one working, no redirects to tidy. That's the result to aim for, and a useful habit: check a page right after you publish it, while every link is fresh in your mind.
What to do with your results, in order
- Broken links to your own pages. These are fully in your control. Correct the address, or if the page moved, link to its new home.
- Missing images, scripts and stylesheets. These break what visitors see. Re-upload the file or fix its path.
- Broken links to other sites. Find the page's new address, link to a similar source, or remove the link.
- Internal links that redirect. They work, but point them straight at the final address to save a hop.
- Couldn't verify. Open the important ones yourself and leave the rest.
For a deeper look at each kind of broken link and how to repair it, read our guide What Is a Broken Link?.
Where dead links come from
- Deleted or renamed pages, especially after a redesign. Old addresses should redirect; the Redirect Checker tests them in bulk.
- Typos in hand-typed links: a missing letter, an extra slash, http instead of https.
- Other sites changing their addresses or closing down. This is called link rot, and it builds up quietly on older posts.
- Moved media files, when an image library or theme changes where uploads live.
Limits of a one-page link check
- One page at a time, up to 120 links. Very long pages are capped, with your own links checked first.
- No JavaScript. Links that only appear after scripts run aren't seen.
- It doesn't find pages with no links to them. Pages listed in your sitemap but linked from nowhere need the Sitemap Checker.
The broken link checker on one map
Heavy images slow a page even when they load; the Image Size Checker finds them.
Check every page for broken links
Watch Owl crawls your whole site for broken links, console errors, failing forms and accessibility issues.
Frequently asked questions
Is the broken link checker free?
Yes. It's free with no sign-up and checks up to 120 links on any page. Nothing is stored.
What does the checker count as broken?
A link that returns 404 (not found), 410 (gone), a 5xx server error, or points to a domain that no longer exists. Images, scripts, stylesheets and embedded frames are checked the same way as ordinary links.
Why do some links say "couldn't verify"?
Some sites, LinkedIn for example, refuse automated checks and answer with codes like 999, 403 or 429 even when the page works for people. We list those separately instead of calling them broken. Open them yourself to be sure.
Do broken links hurt SEO?
They waste the time search engines spend crawling your site, cut off the path to the pages behind them and frustrate visitors. A few broken external links won't sink a site, but broken internal links to important pages are worth fixing quickly.
Is a link that redirects a problem?
Not a broken one: it still works. But each redirect adds a delay for visitors and crawlers, so it's worth pointing your own links straight at the final address.
How often should I run a dead link check?
After every redesign, migration or bulk content change, and every month or two otherwise. External sites change without telling you, so links that worked last year may not today.
Can it check links added by JavaScript?
No. It reads the page's HTML as the server sends it. Links that only appear after scripts run aren't in it, and crawlers that don't run scripts can't follow them either.
Can it check my whole website?
This free tool checks one page at a time. To check every page, use a site crawler such as Watch Owl, which also catches console errors and failing forms.
What's the difference between a 404 and a 410?
Both mean the page isn't there. 404 means not found, with no promise either way; 410 means gone on purpose. Search engines tend to drop a 410 page from results a little faster.
Agents that do this for you
Related reading