Broken links may seem minor, but they can affect how search engines and users experience a website. When a page points to a missing resource, it creates friction for crawlers and visitors, which is why broken link checks are a useful part of a wider SEO audit.
A good broken link checker helps you find outdated internal links, removed pages, and external links that no longer resolve. Used properly, it supports cleaner site architecture, better user experience, and more reliable technical SEO decisions without replacing strategy, content quality, or ongoing maintenance.
What a Broken Link Checker Does in an SEO Audit
A broken link checker scans pages on your site and reports links that return errors such as 404 not found, 410 gone, or other inaccessible responses. In an SEO audit, that matters because links help both users and search engine crawlers move through your website.
Internal broken links can interrupt crawling and waste time on pages that do not exist. External broken links may not damage your site in the same way, but they can still weaken trust and make content feel neglected. For content-heavy websites, ecommerce stores, and WordPress sites, regular link checks are a practical maintenance task rather than a one-off fix.
How to Use a Broken Link Checker Step by Step
Start by running a crawl of your website or reviewing a URL list from your CMS. If you use WordPress, a plugin or external crawler can help identify issues across posts, pages, category archives, and product descriptions. For larger sites, a website crawler tool is often more efficient because it can examine site structure at scale.
Next, separate internal links from external ones. Internal links are usually the priority because they affect your own crawl paths, navigation, and content discovery. External links should also be reviewed, especially in older blog posts or resource pages, but they do not always require the same urgency.
After that, classify the issue. A broken link may need a simple update to the correct URL, a redirect to the nearest relevant page, or removal if the destination no longer has a useful replacement. When a broken internal link points to a page that should still exist, check whether the page was renamed, deleted, or blocked by mistake.
What to Check Before Choosing a Tool
Different SEO audits need different tools. Free SEO tools can be useful for smaller sites or occasional checks, but they may have limits on crawl depth, export options, or scheduled monitoring. Paid SEO audit tools often provide more detail, but the right choice depends on site size, team workflow, and reporting needs.
Look at whether the tool can handle internal links, external links, subdomains, redirected URLs, and site sections such as ecommerce filters or multilingual pages. If you manage a WordPress site, check whether the tool fits your publishing workflow. If you run an online shop, make sure it can process product URLs, faceted navigation, and pagination without missing important pages.
It also helps to choose tools that work alongside other SEO data sources. For example, Google Search Console can show indexing and crawl-related signals, while Google Search Console can help you confirm whether certain URLs are indexed or excluded. Broken link reports are most useful when combined with analytics, crawl data, and page performance data rather than viewed in isolation.
How Broken Link Checks Fit With Other SEO Tools
Broken link checking is only one part of a broader SEO toolkit. A complete audit may also use keyword research tools, rank tracking tools, backlink checker tools, schema markup tools, and content optimisation tools. These tools answer different questions, such as what users search for, how pages perform, and whether your markup and metadata are consistent.
For example, if a broken link points to a page that used to target an important keyword, you can compare the old page’s role against current search intent before deciding whether to redirect, update, or remove it. Likewise, if page speed tools like PageSpeed Insights or Core Web Vitals tools show performance issues, fixing broken links will not solve everything, but it can remove one source of friction from the experience.
Site owners who want a broader audit process may also use reporting dashboards or a structured review service, such as the free website SEO audit, to organise findings alongside technical and content issues.
Best Practices for Fixing Broken Links
Before changing anything, check whether the destination page has moved permanently, temporarily, or not at all. A correct 301 redirect is often better than sending users to a generic homepage, especially when the original page had relevant search demand or backlinks.
Keep a record of what you fix. This makes it easier to review patterns later, such as repeated content deletion, old campaign pages, or navigation links that were not updated after a redesign. For larger websites, a simple checklist can help:
- Prioritise broken internal links first.
- Check whether redirects are pointing to the most relevant page.
- Remove links only when there is no useful replacement.
- Review high-traffic templates, menus, and footer links.
- Re-crawl after fixes to confirm the issue is resolved.
If you are auditing links as part of a broader backlink or content cleanup process, it can also help to review internal site structure and link placement. Backlink Works publishes educational resources on SEO and site quality, which can be useful when you are aligning technical fixes with wider visibility goals.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
One common mistake is treating every broken link as equally urgent. A link in a low-traffic archive page is not always as important as a broken product link in a main category page or a navigation menu. Prioritisation matters.
Another mistake is ignoring external links altogether. While they are not usually as critical as internal links, they still affect content quality and credibility. It is also easy to overuse redirects, which can create chains or send users to pages that do not match their intent. A broken link checker should support better decisions, not automatic mass fixes.
Finally, do not rely on the tool alone. Combine the report with analytics, crawl data, and page-level context so you understand which issues are harming search visibility and which can wait.
Conclusion
A broken link checker is a practical SEO audit tool because it helps you spot issues that interfere with crawling, user experience, and content maintenance. Used alongside Google Search Console, analytics, crawl tools, and performance checks, it gives you a clearer picture of how healthy your site structure really is.
The most useful approach is to fix broken internal links first, review redirects carefully, and keep checking regularly as content changes. That way, your SEO audits stay focused on real improvements rather than isolated errors.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should I check for broken links?
Most websites should check regularly, especially after content updates, redesigns, or product changes. Busy sites may need more frequent checks.
Do broken links hurt SEO?
They can create crawl inefficiencies and a poor user experience, which is why it is sensible to fix them. They are one of several technical issues to review in an audit.
Should I fix internal or external broken links first?
Start with internal links, since they affect your own site structure and crawl paths. Then review external links on important pages.
Can a broken link checker replace a full SEO audit?
No. It is one useful part of an audit, but you still need checks for indexing, content quality, page speed, schema, backlinks, and search performance.
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