Introduction
Broken links are one of the most common technical SEO issues—and one of the easiest to fix. Yet many site owners ignore them, not realizing the impact on user experience, crawl budget, and search rankings.
In this guide, you'll learn how to find broken links at scale, prioritize fixes, and implement solutions that improve both SEO and user experience.
Why Broken Links Matter
Broken links (404 errors) hurt your site in multiple ways:
- User Experience: Frustrated visitors leave your site
- Crawl Budget: Search engines waste time crawling broken pages
- Link Equity: Internal links pointing to 404s lose their value
- Rankings: Poor user signals can negatively impact rankings
- Trust: Broken links make your site look unmaintained
Types of Broken Links
Internal Broken Links
Links within your site pointing to pages that no longer exist. These are the most critical to fix because they directly impact user navigation and internal linking structure.
External Broken Links
Links on your site pointing to external URLs that return 404 errors. Less critical than internal links, but still worth fixing for user experience.
Broken Images
Image sources pointing to missing files. These create broken image placeholders and hurt visual experience.
How to Find Broken Links
Method 1: Use a SEO Crawler
The most efficient way to find broken links is with a crawler like Barracuda SEO:
- Run a crawl of your website
- Filter results for 404 status codes
- Export the list of broken URLs
- Identify which pages link to these broken URLs
Crawlers automatically detect broken links and show you exactly which pages link to them, making fixes straightforward.
Method 2: Google Search Console
Google Search Console's Coverage report shows 404 errors:
- Go to Coverage report
- Filter for "Not found (404)" errors
- Review the list of broken URLs
Note: This only shows URLs Google has attempted to crawl, not all broken links on your site.
Method 3: Browser Extensions
Tools like Check My Links (Chrome) can scan a single page for broken links. Useful for spot-checking, but not scalable for site-wide audits.
Prioritizing Broken Link Fixes
Not all broken links are equal. Prioritize fixes based on:
1. Traffic Impact
Check Google Analytics or Search Console to see if broken pages had traffic. High-traffic 404s should be fixed immediately—either by restoring the page or redirecting to relevant content.
2. Number of Incoming Links
Pages with many internal links pointing to them are more important. Fix these first to restore link equity flow.
3. Page Importance
Key pages (homepage, category pages, product pages) should never have broken links. Prioritize fixes on high-value pages.
4. External Links
If external sites link to your broken page, create a redirect to preserve link equity.
How to Fix Broken Links
Option 1: Restore the Page
If the content still exists or can be recreated, restore the page at its original URL. This is the best option for preserving SEO value.
Option 2: Create a 301 Redirect
If the page is permanently gone but similar content exists elsewhere, redirect to the new location:
- WordPress: Use a redirect plugin or .htaccess
- Other CMS: Configure redirects in your hosting control panel
- Static sites: Use server configuration or hosting redirects
Always use 301 (permanent) redirects, not 302 (temporary).
Option 3: Update Internal Links
If the page is gone and no replacement exists, update all internal links pointing to it:
- Find all pages linking to the broken URL (your crawler can show this)
- Update links to point to relevant existing pages
- Remove links if no suitable replacement exists
Option 4: Create a Custom 404 Page
For pages that can't be restored or redirected, ensure your 404 page:
- Provides helpful navigation
- Includes a search function
- Links to popular content
- Maintains your site's design
Fixing Broken Links at Scale
For large sites, fixing broken links manually isn't practical. Here's a scalable approach:
Step 1: Export Broken Links
Use your crawler to export all 404 errors with their referring pages. Most crawlers provide CSV exports for easy analysis.
Step 2: Categorize Issues
Group broken links by:
- URL pattern (e.g., all /blog/old-post URLs)
- Traffic level (high vs. low traffic)
- Fix type (redirect vs. update links)
Step 3: Bulk Fixes
For common patterns, use bulk redirects or automated link updates:
- Bulk redirects: Many CMS platforms support bulk redirect imports
- Find & replace: Update links in content management systems
- Automation: Use scripts or tools to automate fixes
Step 4: Verify Fixes
Re-crawl your site after fixes to verify broken links are resolved. Monitor Google Search Console for 404 errors decreasing over time.
Preventing Broken Links
Prevention is better than cure. Implement these practices:
1. Use Relative URLs Carefully
Relative URLs can break when content moves. Use absolute URLs for important internal links.
2. Set Up Redirects Before Removing Content
Before deleting pages, set up redirects to preserve link equity and user experience.
3. Regular Audits
Run monthly or quarterly crawls to catch broken links early before they accumulate.
4. Monitor 404s
Set up alerts in Google Search Console for new 404 errors so you can fix them quickly.
5. Use Link Checkers in Development
Before publishing content, check for broken links using browser extensions or validation tools.
Tools for Finding and Fixing Broken Links
- Barracuda SEO: Comprehensive crawling with broken link detection and reporting
- Google Search Console: Monitor 404 errors Google encounters
- Screaming Frog: Desktop crawler with extensive broken link analysis
- Ahrefs Site Audit: Identifies broken links along with other SEO issues
Case Study: Fixing 500+ Broken Links
One agency client had over 500 broken internal links across their e-commerce site. Here's how we fixed them:
- Identified the problem: Ran a crawl with Barracuda SEO, found 523 broken links
- Prioritized: Focused on high-traffic pages and category pages first
- Bulk redirects: Created 301 redirects for 200+ deleted product pages
- Updated links: Fixed internal links in content for remaining issues
- Results: 95% reduction in 404 errors, improved crawl efficiency, better user experience
Conclusion
Broken links are a common but fixable SEO issue. By regularly auditing your site, prioritizing fixes, and implementing solutions at scale, you'll improve both SEO performance and user experience.
Remember: broken links are easier to prevent than fix. Set up regular monitoring and fix issues as they arise.
Find Your Broken Links
Ready to audit your site for broken links? Start your free crawl with Barracuda SEO and get a complete list of broken links with referring pages.