Broken Link Checker
A broken link checker extracts and tests hyperlinks on web pages to find broken destinations, dead anchors, and 404 Not Found errors. You can paste HTML directly for 100% in-browser link extraction or inspect a list of links against real-time HTTP server status probes to fix dead links before they harm SEO.
Processed 100% in-browser via DOMParser. No source code leaves your computer.
Probes up to 10 URLs with SSRF protection to detect 404 and 5xx errors.
| # | Anchor Text | Destination Link (HREF) | Type | HTTP Status |
|---|
What is a broken link checker and when should you use it?
Broken links (hyperlinks pointing to 404 Not Found or server error endpoints) diminish user experience, increase bounce rates, and squander search engine crawl budget. When search engine bots encounter dead links while traversing your website structure, they are forced to stop indexing the path, missing valuable pages further down the hierarchy. This dual-mode utility allows you to either paste raw HTML source code to extract all anchor elements 100% in your browser using DOMParser, or test up to 10 URLs through our safe HTTP probing engine. For site-wide architecture audits, explore our Internal Link Counter and Bulk HTTP Status Checker, or format 301 fixes with the .htaccess Redirect Generator.
How do you use it?
- Select your preferred audit mode: Paste HTML Source or Check URL List.
- Paste your HTML document or enter up to 10 URLs to inspect.
- Click the Check Links button to extract and audit hyperlink targets.
- Review the categorized breakdown of internal links, external links, and anchor tags.
- Inspect any flagged 404 Not Found or connection errors and export the report to CSV.
Working on a comprehensive technical audit? Browse all free SEO tools to discover the next step in your workflow, or contact our technical support team if you require a specialized custom utility.
Result interpretation & practical applications
When evaluating the output of the broken link checker, review the parsed metrics against your specific site architecture. Outputs are formatted for direct implementation into your HTML source, web server configuration, or Google Search Console audit files.
Always inspect generated values for contextual nuance. Automated tools highlight structural patterns, but manual verification confirms that technical directives align with your overarching SEO strategy.
Technical rules and limitations
- HTML parsing executes 100% locally in your browser memory via native DOMParser without sending source code to any server.
- Live status checks are capped at 10 URLs per run with controlled concurrency and 4-second timeouts.
- Private and reserved IP addresses (such as localhost, 127.0.0.1, and RFC 1918 subnets) are blocked by SSRF safeguards.
- Protocol-relative links (starting with //) and relative root paths are properly resolved against your base URL.
Common mistakes and troubleshooting
- Leaving links pointing to deleted blog posts or discontinued product pages without configuring 301 redirects.
- Linking to HTTP protocol variants that cause unnecessary mixed content warnings or intermediate redirects.
- Using empty href attributes (`href=""` or `href="#"`) that cause browsers to re-request the current page.
- Failing to notice typographical errors in external domain names that lead to parked or scam domains.
No tool can promise how a search engine will crawl, index, or rank your pages. This tool generates and validates code against documented technical specifications; you determine where to deploy it, and you should always test changes on staging environments first. Google publishes extensive guidelines in Search Central on evaluating third-party SEO tools and advice. Learn more about our technical testing standards on our about us page, or explore full site audits on our pricing page.
Related free tools & workflows
Browse all Technical SEO Audit Tools →Technical SEO Audit Workflows
Indexability & Crawling
Redirects & HTTP Headers
Authoritative Technical Documentation & Standards
This tool executes logic aligned with official technical documentation and search engine webmaster standards:
- Google Search Central Crawl Budget Documentation
Google Search Central: Manage Your Crawl Budget for Large Sites
Primary engineering source and technical documentation.
- W3C URI Clarification Standards
W3C: URIs, URLs, and URNs Clarification
Primary engineering source and technical documentation.
Broken Link Checker questions
Do broken outbound external links hurt my site's SEO? ↓
While an occasional broken external link is normal on the web, having numerous dead outbound links signals to search engines and visitors that your content is outdated and poorly maintained.
What is the difference between a 404 and a 410 status code? ↓
A 404 Not Found indicates the resource is missing but may return in the future. A 410 Gone explicitly tells search engines that the resource was intentionally removed and should be purged from search indexes immediately.
Is it safe to paste private staging HTML into this tool? ↓
Yes. When using the Paste HTML mode, parsing is conducted 100% client-side in your browser using DOMParser. No HTML markup is transmitted to our server.
Is this tool free? ↓
Yes. It is completely free to use and requires no registration or subscription.
Does this tool visit my website or store my files? ↓
No. It executes entirely in your local browser runtime. Your inputs and results are never stored or logged on our servers.
Ready for the next step in your audit?
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