Broken links are links that point to a page or resource that no longer exists or cannot be reached properly. When a user or search engine clicks a broken link, they usually end up on an error page such as a 404 page.
In simple terms, a broken link is a path that leads nowhere. It may look normal on the page, but it does not take users or search engines to a working destination.
Why Broken Links Matter When You SEO Check a Website
When you SEO check a website, broken links are one of the most common technical issues to review. They create a poor user experience, interrupt crawl paths, and can make a website look outdated or poorly maintained.
Broken links are especially important when they appear in navigation, key content pages, or internal links pointing to pages that should still be helping search engines understand the site structure.
What Causes Broken Links?
Broken links can happen for several reasons.
- A page was deleted without a redirect
- A URL was changed but links were not updated
- A backlink points to an outdated page
- A page slug was edited incorrectly
- A migration removed or moved content
- A typo was added to the link URL
- An external site being linked to is no longer live
How Broken Links Affect SEO
Broken links affect SEO because they disrupt both usability and crawl efficiency. When you SEO check a website, they often reveal missed maintenance issues that can weaken technical performance.
- Users may hit dead ends instead of useful pages
- Search engines may waste crawl activity on missing URLs
- Internal link equity may stop flowing to important pages
- Site structure becomes harder for crawlers to follow
- Backlink value can be lost if old linked pages are not redirected properly
Common Broken Link Problems Found in an SEO Check
When running an SEO check on a website, broken links often appear in a few common patterns.
Broken Internal Links
These are the most important to fix. If one page on your site links to another page that no longer works, both users and crawlers hit a dead end inside your own website.
Broken Navigation Links
If broken links appear in menus, footer links, or category links, they can affect many pages and create sitewide usability issues.
Broken External Links
Linking out to pages that no longer exist creates a poor experience and can make content feel outdated, even if the issue is on another website.
Backlinks Pointing to Missing Pages
If external websites link to a page on your site that now returns an error, you may be losing authority that could have been preserved with a redirect.
Image and File Links
Broken links do not only affect normal pages. PDFs, images, downloads, and media files can also return errors and create technical problems.
Broken Links vs Redirected Links
Broken links point to URLs that do not work.
Redirected links point to URLs that send users or search engines to another destination.
This matters when you SEO check a website because a redirected link is often less urgent than a broken one, although internal links should ideally point directly to the final destination rather than relying on redirects.
How to Check for Broken Links on a Website
If you want to SEO check a website properly, review both internal and external links across the site.
- Check for internal links returning 404 or 5xx errors
- Review menus, footers, and high-authority pages first
- Look for broken image, PDF, and media links
- Check whether backlinks point to missing URLs
- Review external links to make sure they still work
A website SEO checker can help find broken links quickly and show which pages are affected, making it easier to prioritize the most important fixes first.
How to Fix Broken Links
The right fix depends on the cause. You may need to update the link to the correct URL, restore the missing page, or add a 301 redirect to the most relevant replacement page. If the link is no longer needed, removing it may be the best option.
Best Practices for Managing Broken Links
Check broken links regularly as part of your technical SEO process. Fix internal broken links quickly, keep navigation clean, and redirect valuable old URLs when pages move. For external links, update or remove outdated references so users are not sent to dead pages.
Final Thoughts
Broken links are links that lead to missing or inaccessible pages. They are a key issue to review when you SEO check a website because they can hurt user experience, waste crawl activity, and weaken the site’s internal structure if left unresolved.