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Broken link monitoring

Turning a Broken Link Report Into a Fix Plan

A list of broken links is not a plan. Here is how to turn a report into action.

Turning a Broken Link Report Into a Fix Plan
Photo: Kristin Hardwick via Openverse (CC0)

A report is a starting point

Finding broken links is only useful if you fix them. A long report can feel overwhelming, so the first step is turning it from a list into a prioritized plan.

Sort by impact

Not every broken link matters equally. Put the ones on high traffic and high value pages at the top, and the obscure ones at the bottom. Impact, not count, decides the order.

Choose the right fix

Each broken link has a correct fix: repoint an internal link to the right page, redirect a moved URL, update or remove a dead external reference. Matching the fix to the cause keeps the site clean rather than patched.

Close the loop

After fixing, recheck to confirm the links now resolve, and keep monitoring so new breakage is caught early. A fix plan is not done until the report comes back clean and stays that way.

Key takeaways
  • A report only helps if it becomes a plan
  • Prioritize fixes by page impact, not count
  • Match each fix to the cause of the break
  • Recheck and keep monitoring to stay clean
Julien Jimenez
Written by

Julien Jimenez

Julien Jimenez is an independent software builder based in Paris. He designs, ships, and operates focused SaaS products for small businesses and independent professionals. Read the full author page.

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