3 Ways to Quickly Find Broken Links on Your Website

Finding broken links on your website is crucial for maintaining a good user experience and SEO performance. Here are three quick methods to identify them:

1. Use Online Tools or Browser Extensions

• Examples: Dead Link Checker, Broken Link Checker, or browser extensions like Check My Links (Chrome).
• How to Use: Enter your website URL into the tool or activate the extension while visiting your site. These tools scan your site for broken internal and external links.
• Pros: Quick, easy, and no technical expertise required.
• Cons: Limited scans for free versions; might not cover all pages on large websites.

2. Google Search Console

• How to Use:
  1. Log in to your Google Search Console account.
  2. Navigate to the Coverage report under the Index tab.
  3. Look for errors like “404 Not Found.”
• Pros: Comprehensive and free; provides insights into broken links detected by Google.
• Cons: May not detect links that aren’t indexed by Google.

3. Use a Website Crawler Tool

• Examples: Screaming Frog SEO Spider (free for up to 500 URLs) or Sitebulb.
• How to Use:
  1. Download and install the tool.
  2. Enter your website’s URL and start the crawl.
  3. Review the report for HTTP status codes like 404 or 410 to identify broken links.
• Pros: Highly detailed; works offline after setup; ideal for larger websites.
• Cons: Requires installation; advanced options might overwhelm beginners.

Bonus Tip: Regular Maintenance

Automate link checks with plugins (e.g., Broken Link Checker for WordPress) or schedule manual audits every few months to ensure your site remains error-free.