How to Find Broken Links at Scale
Checking a big site by hand is impossible. Here is how to find every broken link systematically.
On any real site, clicking every link by hand is impractical, so finding broken links must be automated. A systematic crawl follows every link and reports which ones fail, ideally naming the source page of each break so you can fix it directly. Make the crawl continuous to catch new breakage.
Manual checking does not scale
On any real site, clicking every link to test it is impractical. Links break faster than you can check them by hand, which is why finding them needs to be automated. Related: How Often Should You Audit Your Site for Broken Links
Keep reading: Why Broken Links Quietly Hurt Your SEO, Internal vs External Broken Links: Which to Fix First, Redirects Done Right: Avoiding Chains and Loops. See how LinkRotly helps you continuous broken link monitoring for websites.
Crawl the whole site
A systematic crawl follows every link on your site and reports which ones fail. That gives you a complete picture instead of the handful of broken links you happen to notice. Related: Why Broken Links Quietly Hurt Your SEO
Know where each break is
A useful report does not just list broken targets. It tells you which pages link to them, so you can go straight to the fix instead of hunting for it. Related: Turning a Broken Link Report Into a Fix Plan
Make it continuous
A one time crawl catches today's problems. Continuous monitoring catches the ones that appear next week, which is where most breakage actually comes from.
- Checking links by hand does not scale
- Crawl the whole site for a complete picture
- A good report shows the source page of each break
- Continuous checking catches new breakage over time
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.
Frequently asked questions
What makes a broken link report actually useful?
It should not just list broken targets but name which pages link to them, so you can go straight to the fix instead of hunting for the source.
Why isn't a one-time crawl enough?
A single crawl catches today's problems, but links break faster than that. Continuous monitoring catches the breakage that appears next week, which is where most of it actually comes from.
Find broken links before your visitors do
Continuous broken link monitoring for websites. LinkRotly is built to help you put this into practice.
Scan my siteMore from the LinkRotly blog
Why Broken Links Quietly Hurt Your SEO
Internal vs External Broken Links: Which to Fix First
Redirects Done Right: Avoiding Chains and Loops
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