Broken link checker
Enter a page and this tool collects its links and requests each one, up to 100 per page, then sorts them into working, broken, redirected, refused or no answer, with the worst at the top.
It’s for site owners tidying a resources page or checking a launch page before sharing it. It separates links that are truly broken from sites that merely refuse automated checks, so you don’t waste time on false alarms.
Free with a ShipScroll account.
How to use the Broken Link Checker
- Enter the page address and press Check links. Pages with many links can take up to a minute.
- Fix the Broken links first: update them, or remove them if the page has gone.
- Open Refused and No answer links yourself, because many work fine in a browser.
- Update Redirects to the final address when it’s easy. They work, but add a small delay.
What each result means
| Result | Status | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| OK | 2xx | Nothing |
| Redirects | 3xx | Works; update to the final address when convenient |
| Broken | 4xx or 5xx | Fix or remove. A 5xx may be temporary, so check again later |
| Refused | 401, 403 or 429 | Often bot protection; open it by hand |
| No answer | None | The site timed out or doesn’t exist; open it by hand |
Why fix broken links?
Mostly for your visitors: a dead link on a pricing or docs page interrupts someone who was interested, and it makes a site feel neglected. Internal links matter most, since they’re entirely under your control and they’re how people and crawlers move around your site.
Example: a resources page gone stale
A list of useful links published two years ago has quietly lost several destinations. The check shows a few broken links at the top and some redirects to new addresses below. In a few minutes you can update the moved ones and remove the dead ones, without clicking each link by hand.
Questions
Can it check my whole site?
It checks the links on one page, up to 100, rather than crawling your site. Run it on pages that collect many links, such as your home page, docs index or resources page. It tells you if a page has more links than it checked.
Why does a working link show as Refused?
Sites such as LinkedIn often block automated requests and answer with an error while working normally for people. We mark 401, 403 and 429 responses as Refused, not Broken, so open them yourself to be sure.
Does it check links added by JavaScript?
No. It reads links from the HTML your server sends. Links drawn by scripts in the browser, such as in a client-rendered menu, won’t be found.
Why do my links to localhost show No answer?
For security, the tool doesn’t request private or internal addresses. If you see such links in your results, they’re likely left over from development and should be replaced on your live site anyway.
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