What does Broken links mean?

Broken links, also called dead links or dangling links, are hyperlinks that direct to web pages or resources that are no longer accessible. These links often result in error messages such as “404 Not Found” or “Page Not Found.” They can be a nuisance for website visitors and can have detrimental effects on SEO efforts if not addressed promptly.

Why are broken links problematic?

It can result in a negative user experience since individuals encountering them might feel frustrated and decide to exit the website. Moreover, search engines may penalize websites with numerous broken links, resulting in lower rankings and decreased visibility.

Types of Broken Links

Internal

Hyperlinks that point to pages within the same website but lead to non-existent or inaccessible content.

External

Hyperlinks that lead to pages on other websites but result in error messages due to the unavailable linked content.

Causes of Broken Links

Website restructuring

When a website undergoes restructuring, such as changes to its URL structure or content organization, previously existing links may become broken.

URL changes

If the URL of a webpage is modified without setting up proper redirects, any links pointing to the old URL will become broken.

Content deletion

Deleting web pages or removing content without updating internal and external links

Linking to non-existent pages

Linking to pages that have been removed or never existed in the first place