Broken links
A broken link points to a page that no longer works, usually returning a 404 not found or a dead redirect. They are one of the most common and most fixable SEO problems.
Clearing broken links is quick, high-impact housekeeping.
What this check flags
The crawler flags any link on your site that leads to a failure:
- Links to pages that return 404 (not found) or 410 (gone).
- Links that pass through a redirect to a dead end, or through a chain that eventually fails.
- Links to pages returning server errors (5xx).
It reports both internal broken links (from one of your pages to another) and external broken links (from your page to another site), because they need different fixes.
Why broken links matter for SEO
- Wasted crawl budget. Every broken link a search engine follows is effort spent on nothing, which on a large site means less crawling of the pages that matter.
- Lost link value. A link to a 404 passes no value. If other pages link to a URL you have since broken, that value leaks away.
- Poor user experience. A visitor who hits a 404 often leaves. Search engines watch those signals.
- Erosion of trust. A site littered with dead links looks unmaintained, to users and to search engines.
How to fix broken links
The right fix depends on the cause:
| Cause | Fix |
|---|---|
| The target page moved | Update the link to the new URL, and 301-redirect the old URL to the new one |
| The target page was deleted on purpose | Remove or repoint the link; return 410 on the old URL if it is gone for good |
| A typo in the URL | Correct the link |
| The link goes through a redirect chain | Point the link straight at the final URL |
| An external site removed the page | Update the link to a working source, or remove it |
Fixing internal broken links
Internal broken links are fully in your control, so fix them at the source. The page detail view lists the exact pages that link to each broken URL, so you know where to edit. Prefer updating the link to the correct URL over relying on a redirect, since a direct link is cleaner and faster.
Fixing external broken links
You cannot fix another site's pages, so either update your link to a working equivalent or remove it. External links rot over time, so it is worth re-checking them periodically.
Redirect chains and loops
A redirect chain (A to B to C) wastes a hop at every step and dilutes signals. Update the original link to point straight at the final destination. A redirect loop (A to B to A) never resolves and must be broken at the server.
How Crawlpit Monster reports broken links
Broken links appear as an issue group on the dashboard. For each broken target URL, the report lists the source pages that link to it, so you can go straight to the pages that need editing. Sorting by how many pages link to a broken URL shows you the highest-leverage fixes first.
Common mistakes
- Redirecting every dead URL to the homepage. Search engines treat an irrelevant redirect as a soft 404, which is no better than the original error. Redirect to the most relevant live page instead.
- Leaving a
200on a not-found page. A custom "not found" page that returns200 OKis a soft 404; a real missing page should return404or410. - Fixing the redirect but not the link. If you 301 the old URL, also update internal links to point at the new one so nothing routes through the redirect.
Frequently asked questions
Do broken links directly lower my rankings?
Not as a direct penalty, but they waste crawl budget, leak link value, and hurt user experience, all of which affect performance. They are worth fixing.
What is the difference between a 404 and a 410?
Both mean the page is not there. 404 is "not found," 410 is "gone on purpose." Use 410 when you have deliberately removed a page for good, since it is a clearer signal.
Should I redirect a deleted page or return a 404?
If there is a relevant replacement, 301-redirect to it. If there is not, returning 404 or 410 is the honest, correct answer.
How often should I check for broken links?
Crawl after any significant content change or migration, and periodically for external links, which break over time on their own.