Broken links frustrate visitors and can quietly drain SEO value. Learn the 10 most common causes of broken links — from deleted pages to soft 404s — and exactly how to fix and prevent each one.
iNet VenturesLinks break mainly because pages are deleted, URLs change, websites migrate or external resources disappear. Some broken links are harmless — a genuine 404 on intentionally removed content is normal — but broken internal links, missing important pages and dead backlink destinations cost you visitors and search visibility.
Fix the highest-impact problems first: navigation links, conversion pages, high-traffic content and URLs that still receive backlinks.
Broken links are one of those website problems that can go unnoticed for months. A website may launch with every page, image and download working perfectly, only for links to gradually stop functioning as content changes, pages disappear and external websites evolve.
For visitors, a broken link can mean a frustrating dead end. For website owners, it may indicate outdated content, missed conversions, inefficient internal navigation or lost opportunities to benefit from valuable backlinks.
Not every broken link is a serious SEO problem. A deleted page returning a genuine 404 error, for example, is perfectly normal when the content has been permanently removed. Problems arise when important pages become inaccessible, internal links lead nowhere or useful backlinks point to URLs that no longer exist.
Understanding why links break is the first step towards fixing them properly.
This guide explores ten common causes of broken links, explains how to diagnose them and provides practical solutions for maintaining a healthier website.
A broken link is a hyperlink that no longer takes a user to its intended destination or fails to provide the expected resource.
The most familiar example is a link that leads to a 404 Not Found page. However, broken links can take several different forms.
A link might point to a deleted article, an unavailable PDF, a domain that has expired or a page that appears to load successfully but contains no useful content.
Some failures are obvious. Others are more difficult to detect, particularly when redirects, JavaScript or server configuration problems are involved.
Broken links generally fall into two categories:
A related issue is a broken backlink. This occurs when another website links to a page on your site that has been removed, moved or made inaccessible.
The distinction matters because each situation may require a different solution.
One of the most common causes of broken links is a page that has been deleted or unpublished.
This frequently happens during content audits, product catalogue updates, website reorganisations and the removal of outdated information.
A business might discontinue a product and delete its original page without considering whether other pages still link to it.
For example:
example.com/products/widget-2000
If this URL is removed without a replacement, visitors following existing links may receive a 404 error.
Those links might still appear in blog posts, navigation menus, downloadable guides, email campaigns or external websites.
Before deleting a published page, investigate whether it receives organic traffic, has valuable backlinks or serves an important navigational purpose.
If a genuinely relevant replacement exists, implement a permanent 301 redirect to the new page.
If no suitable replacement exists, returning a proper 404 or 410 status code is usually preferable to sending visitors to an unrelated destination.
Update internal links pointing to the removed page and remove outdated references wherever possible.
SEO consideration: A 404 response is not automatically harmful. The greater concern is losing access to useful content or leaving important internal links and backlinks pointing to an unavailable resource.
Sometimes a page still exists, but its original address has changed.
This might happen when an editor updates an article slug, renames a product category, changes permalink settings or restructures website content.
Imagine an article originally published at:
example.com/blog/2022/broken-links
The website owner later changes its location to:
example.com/guides/broken-links
Without a redirect, links to the original address may stop working despite the article still being available.
This is especially common on established websites containing hundreds or thousands of published articles.
Create a permanent redirect from the old URL to the new destination whenever the content has moved permanently.
Then update important internal links so they point directly to the current URL rather than depending on a redirect.
Before changing URLs, consider whether the potential benefit outweighs the disruption. A shorter or more attractive URL is not necessarily worth changing an established address that already performs well.
For pages with backlinks, preserving access to the original URL through a suitable redirect is particularly important.
Website migrations can create widespread broken-link problems because they often change many URLs simultaneously.
Common examples include:
Consider a company that moves its customer support articles from /support/ to /help/.
The new website may function perfectly, but hundreds of links in older blog posts, emails and third-party websites could still point to the previous structure.
Without appropriate redirects, users may encounter errors across otherwise valuable content.
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A successful migration should begin with a full inventory of existing URLs.
Create a redirect map that records the original address and its intended destination. Preserve URLs wherever practical, and make sure changed pages redirect to their closest relevant equivalents.
Before launching, test the redirect rules in a staging environment where possible.
After the migration, crawl the live website and examine Google Search Console for unexpected indexing or access issues.
Pay particular attention to pages generating organic traffic, receiving backlinks or supporting important conversions.
A redirect map should not be treated as a one-off technical document. Keep it available for future maintenance and troubleshooting.
Broken links are not limited to HTML pages.
Images, PDF documents, videos, downloadable resources, stylesheets and scripts can all become unavailable when their original URLs change.
A website may continue displaying its text correctly while important images disappear or downloadable documents return errors.
For example, an image originally located at:
example.com/images/logo.png
might be moved to:
example.com/assets/logo.png
If the website continues requesting the original file, the image may fail to display.
These problems are particularly common during CDN migrations, media-library cleanups, changes to asset hosting and website redesigns.
Preserve existing asset URLs where practical, especially when resources are linked from external websites.
When files must move, update references in templates, articles and CSS files. Create appropriate redirects if the old resources have direct replacements.
Include non-HTML resources in website audits rather than checking ordinary page links alone.
For images, ensure that the HTML references the correct files and that relevant alternative text remains in place.
A broken image can affect usability even when the webpage itself returns a successful response.
External links are particularly vulnerable because website owners have no control over what happens to their destinations.
A research paper may move to a different URL. A company may close. An article might be deleted or a domain registration could expire.
Over time, this gradual disappearance of online resources is commonly called link rot.
An article that was carefully researched several years ago might contain references to studies, statistics and organisations that no longer exist at their original addresses.
The problem extends beyond technical functionality. An outdated reference can also reduce the practical value of otherwise helpful content.
Review external links periodically, particularly on important evergreen articles.
When a source has moved, update the link to the current authoritative page.
If the resource has disappeared, look for a credible replacement supporting the same information.
Where appropriate, an archived copy preserved by the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine may help readers access historical material.
However, an archived page is not always a suitable substitute for current guidance, particularly where laws, prices, safety recommendations or technical specifications have changed.
Also check the surrounding content. Replacing a broken URL is not enough if the claims in the article have become outdated.
Changing a website's domain, reorganising subdomains or moving from HTTP to HTTPS can create broken links if redirects and configuration settings are not handled correctly.
A company might move its documentation from:
example.com/docs/
to:
docs.example.com/
If old URLs are not redirected, visitors following bookmarks and external links may end up on unavailable pages.
Similar issues can arise when websites switch between www and non-www addresses or when HTTP links are no longer handled correctly.
These problems are particularly relevant during rebranding projects and technical infrastructure changes.
Choose a consistent preferred domain and protocol.
Ensure that alternative versions redirect to the correct destination, using permanent redirects for permanent changes.
Test individual pages and resources rather than checking only the homepage.
During a full domain migration, check HTTPS certificates, DNS configuration, redirect rules, canonical URLs, internal links and XML sitemaps.
Old domains should remain under your control for as long as they are needed to preserve important redirects.
Not every broken link is caused by deleting content. Sometimes the address was incorrect from the beginning.
Malformed URLs can result from manual typing errors, faulty templates, broken content imports or publishing automation.
For example:
https://example.comblog/article
The missing slash between the domain and path makes this an incorrect destination.
Other common mistakes include duplicated path segments, incomplete URLs and links accidentally pointing to a staging environment.
A single typo may affect one article. A faulty template, however, can produce hundreds of incorrect links across an entire website.
Correct the affected URLs, then investigate how the errors were introduced.
If an automated publishing tool generates malformed links, fix its source logic rather than repeatedly correcting individual pages.
Where possible, validate URLs during content publishing and website deployment.
For large websites, automated testing can identify invalid or unexpected link destinations before changes reach the live environment.
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URLs that appear almost identical may behave differently depending on the server configuration.
Common causes include uppercase and lowercase letters, trailing slashes, special characters, encoded characters and differences in filename formatting.
For example:
example.com/Reports/Annual.pdf
and:
example.com/reports/annual.pdf
may refer to the same resource on one server but to different locations on another.
This can become a problem when migrating between hosting environments with different case-sensitivity rules.
Similarly, inconsistent handling of trailing slashes can create unnecessary redirects or inaccessible URLs.
Establish consistent URL conventions and apply them throughout the website.
Check whether the server handles uppercase and lowercase paths differently.
Ensure links are encoded correctly when special characters are involved, and confirm that internal links use the preferred URL format.
After moving to a new hosting environment, test historical URLs and important downloadable resources rather than assuming the new server behaves exactly like the old one.
Redirects are designed to prevent broken links, but incorrect redirect configurations can create problems of their own.
Common issues include redirect chains, redirect loops, unrelated destinations and redirects pointing to pages that no longer exist.
Consider this sequence:
/old-page/ → /new-page/ → /latest-page/
Although the visitor may eventually reach the correct destination, the additional steps introduce unnecessary complexity.
A redirect loop is more serious because it repeatedly sends requests between URLs without reaching a usable page.
Another common mistake is redirecting every deleted URL to the homepage, even when the homepage offers no relevant replacement for the original content.
Audit redirect rules regularly and update old redirects to point directly to their final destinations whenever practical.
Avoid unnecessary chains, eliminate loops and verify that each target page is accessible.
Use permanent redirects when content has permanently moved and temporary redirects when the change is genuinely temporary.
Google's guidance explains how different redirect types influence crawling and canonicalisation. For more information, review its documentation on redirects and Google Search.
A useful redirect should preserve the visitor's original intent, not simply prevent an error message.
A soft 404 occurs when a page appears to be missing or unusable but does not return the appropriate HTTP error status.
For example, a deleted article might display a message saying "Page not found" while the server still returns 200 OK, indicating a successful request.
Other examples include empty product pages, blank content areas and placeholder pages that contain no meaningful information.
Some websites also create soft 404 problems by redirecting large numbers of unrelated missing URLs to a generic page.
These issues are more difficult to identify because a basic status-code checker may report that the page is technically working.
Configure genuinely missing pages to return an appropriate 404 or 410 status code.
If content has moved and a relevant replacement exists, use a suitable redirect instead.
For pages that should remain accessible, investigate rendering errors, missing content, blocked resources and server-side issues.
Use tools that examine both HTTP responses and page content to identify potential soft errors.
Google Search Console can also report pages classified as soft 404s, helping website owners investigate URLs that appear successful technically but do not provide the expected content.
Broken links do not all have the same consequences.
A genuine 404 response on a deliberately removed page is normal. However, broken links can still create significant problems when they affect useful content or important navigation paths.
Internal links help visitors discover relevant pages.
When an important navigation link stops working, users may struggle to locate products, services or supporting information.
This can be especially frustrating on ecommerce websites, documentation portals and large editorial publications.
Search engine crawlers use links to find and navigate pages.
If important internal links point to missing destinations, the website may provide less effective pathways to useful content.
A sensible internal linking structure supports both users and search engine discovery.
An article containing outdated or inaccessible references may become less useful to readers.
This is particularly noticeable in research-heavy content, where external references support important claims.
Maintaining accurate source links is therefore part of maintaining the overall quality of a website.
Backlinks from other websites can help search engines discover content and may contribute to its search visibility.
When external websites link to deleted URLs, those links may no longer direct visitors to useful content.
If a legitimate replacement exists, an appropriate redirect can help preserve the value of those references.
This makes broken-backlink recovery an important part of technical SEO and ongoing link maintenance.
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Although the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, they describe different problems.
A broken internal link is a link on your website pointing to an unavailable page or resource, usually within the same website.
A broken backlink is a link from another website pointing to an unavailable destination on your own site.
For example, imagine a technology publication links to an in-depth guide published by your business.
Several months later, the guide is moved or deleted without a redirect.
The publication's backlink may still exist, but visitors following it no longer reach the intended article.
Fixing the problem might involve restoring the original page, redirecting the old URL to a genuinely equivalent resource or contacting the linking website to request an updated destination.
This process is known as link reclamation.
Unlike acquiring completely new backlinks, link reclamation focuses on maintaining or restoring references that already exist.
However, redirects should never be applied indiscriminately. Sending a backlink to an unrelated commercial page does not recreate the value or usefulness of the original resource.
Manually checking every link is manageable for a very small website, but it becomes increasingly impractical as the number of pages grows.
An established publication may contain thousands of internal links, external references, images and downloadable resources.
Automated website crawlers make it possible to inspect these elements more systematically.
For example, Dr. Link Check crawls a website's HTML and CSS to examine internal links, outbound links, images, stylesheets and other resource files. It reports broken links, redirects and soft errors, where a page returns "200 OK" even though its content indicates that there is a problem with the link.
A useful website audit should identify more than straightforward 404 errors.
It should also investigate redirects, inaccessible assets, failed requests and pages returning unexpected responses.
Step 1: Crawl the website
Run a scan to identify problematic internal and external URLs.
Record the source page, destination URL, response status and type of resource affected.
Step 2: Separate internal and external problems
Internal links are usually within your direct control.
External links may require finding an updated source, replacing the reference or removing an outdated citation.
Step 3: Check affected pages manually
Not every reported error represents a permanently broken resource.
Some servers block automated requests, apply rate limits or require authentication. Temporary network failures can also produce misleading results.
Verify important issues before making changes.
Step 4: Prioritise important URLs
Start with broken links affecting navigation, revenue-generating pages, high-traffic articles and pages with valuable backlinks.
Step 5: Apply the appropriate fix
Update incorrect links, restore missing content, replace outdated references or implement relevant redirects.
Step 6: Crawl the website again
A second scan helps verify that the changes worked and did not introduce additional problems.
For larger websites, compare audit results over time to identify recurring problems caused by publishing workflows or website infrastructure.
Broken backlink recovery deserves special attention because some unavailable pages may still have links from reputable external websites.
For companies investing in content marketing, blogger outreach or digital PR, maintaining these references can be an important part of a long-term SEO strategy.
Start by identifying pages that return errors but still have incoming links.
Backlink analysis tools can help reveal which external websites link to those URLs and whether the referring pages are still accessible.
Next, investigate why each destination disappeared.
If the page was accidentally removed, restoring it may be the simplest solution.
If the content moved, redirect the old address to the appropriate new location.
If the original article is obsolete but still valuable to readers, consider updating and republishing it.
In situations where a linking website references an outdated URL, contacting its editor to request a correction can also be worthwhile.
Broken-link building is a related but different approach.
Instead of recovering links pointing to your own missing pages, it involves finding broken external references on other websites and suggesting a genuinely useful replacement resource.
For example, a marketing publication may reference an old SEO study that is no longer accessible.
If your business has published an original, relevant and credible alternative, you could contact the editor and suggest it as a replacement.
The purpose should be to improve the article for its readers, rather than simply to secure another backlink.
For agencies such as iNet Ventures, which work across blogger outreach, link insertions and digital PR, understanding the distinction between link acquisition, link reclamation and ongoing link maintenance helps support a more sustainable SEO strategy.
Not every broken link requires the same urgency.
A practical priority system can help website owners focus on the problems most likely to affect users and business performance.
Highest priority
Medium priority
Lower priority
Lower priority does not mean that an issue should always be ignored. It simply recognises that website maintenance is most effective when effort is directed towards meaningful problems first.
There is no universal schedule suitable for every website.
The right frequency depends on publishing activity, website size, technical complexity and the importance of the content.
A small business website that changes infrequently may only need periodic audits and checks after major updates.
A busy ecommerce store or news publication may benefit from more frequent automated monitoring.
Regardless of size, a fresh link audit is particularly worthwhile after:
Regular checks can prevent small maintenance issues from accumulating into widespread problems.
Fixing existing errors is useful, but preventing avoidable problems is even better.
Build link maintenance into the website's ordinary content and development workflows.
Before changing a published URL, check whether it receives traffic or backlinks and decide whether a redirect is needed.
Before deleting articles, review their internal links and external references.
When publishing new content, use accurate destination URLs and avoid linking to temporary or unreliable resources where more stable sources exist.
For larger websites, automated checks can be integrated into deployment and quality-assurance processes.
A clear URL management policy also makes a difference. Consistent conventions for article slugs, category paths, redirects and media resources reduce the likelihood of errors appearing as the website grows.
Most importantly, assign responsibility for maintaining links. When nobody owns the process, broken references can accumulate even on otherwise well-managed websites.
Broken links do not automatically cause a ranking penalty. Google expects websites to contain some unavailable URLs over time.
However, broken internal links, missing important content and lost backlink destinations can indirectly affect discoverability, usability and search performance.
The impact depends on which URLs are affected and how important they are to the website.
No. A genuine 404 response is appropriate when a page no longer exists and there is no suitable replacement.
Google does not require every deleted URL to redirect somewhere else.
The important distinction is between an intentionally removed page and a useful page that has become inaccessible by mistake.
A 404 response means the requested resource was not found. A 410 response indicates that the resource is gone.
Both can be appropriate for removed content.
A 410 may communicate that a removal is intentional and permanent, but website owners do not need to replace every existing 404 with a 410.
No. Redirecting unrelated missing URLs to the homepage can confuse visitors and may be treated as a soft 404.
Use redirects when a relevant replacement exists. Otherwise, return the appropriate missing-page status.
Often, yes.
If external websites still link to a missing page, restoring the content, redirecting to a relevant replacement or requesting an updated link may help recover useful referral traffic and preserve backlink value.
Results depend on the quality of the links, the relevance of the replacement content and how search engines interpret the changes.
Yes. Images, scripts, PDFs and outbound references may fail even when the main HTML pages load successfully.
Soft 404s and misleading redirects can also make a website appear functional during basic testing.
It can be, particularly when the replacement content is genuinely relevant and offers value to readers.
However, it is not a guaranteed method of earning backlinks. Editors are free to decline suggestions, and outreach based on low-quality replacement content is unlikely to build lasting relationships.
Broken links are a natural consequence of websites changing over time. Pages are deleted, URLs are updated, resources disappear and website migrations introduce unexpected complications.
The important thing is not to eliminate every 404 error, but to make sure visitors and search engines can access the content that matters.
A sensible maintenance strategy combines regular link audits, accurate internal linking, well-planned redirects, relevant external references and careful management of pages that receive backlinks.
For businesses investing in SEO, content marketing and digital PR, preserving existing links can be just as important as earning new ones.
Regular website scans can help identify problems before they affect visitors. Broken-link checkers such as Dr. Link Check make this process easier by checking links, redirects and soft errors across your website, helping you keep your content accessible as it evolves.
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