Broken Links
Broken Links
The Hidden Villains of the Web and How to Defeat Them
Imagine you’re on a treasure hunt, following a carefully crafted map. You’re excited, ready to uncover the hidden gems of knowledge. But then... you reach a dead end. The treasure chest is gone, replaced by a frustrating ‘404 Page Not Found’ sign. That’s exactly what happens when users encounter broken links on a website.
Broken links are the hidden villains of the web, leading visitors to nowhere and damaging user experience, SEO rankings, and website credibility. But fear not! There’s a hero in this story: the Broken Links Plugin. Let’s look into the chaos caused by broken links and how this handy tool can save the day!
Why Broken Links Are a Big Problem
1. User Frustration
Visitors clicking on a link expect valuable content. When they hit a dead end, they may leave your site altogether, never to return.
2. SEO Disaster
Search engines like Google frown upon broken links. If your website is littered with them, your rankings may drop, reducing organic traffic.
3. Lost Opportunities
Imagine linking to an important case study or a vital product page, only to find out later that the link is broken. That’s lost engagement and potential revenue.
4. Credibility Killer
A website filled with broken links appears outdated and unmaintained, making users question its reliability.
Meet the Hero
The Broken Links Plugin
The Broken Links Plugin is like a detective that tirelessly scans your website, uncovering and reporting dead links before they cause any damage. Here’s how it saves the day:
1. Automated Scans
Instead of manually checking every link, the plugin does the heavy lifting, crawling your website for broken links and listing them in an easy-to-read report.
2. Quick Fixes
Once detected, the plugin allows you to edit, replace, or remove broken links directly from the dashboard, saving time and effort.
3. SEO Protection
By keeping your site free of broken links, the plugin helps maintain your search rankings and ensures a smooth user experience.
4. Email Alerts
Some plugins even notify you via email whenever a broken link is detected, ensuring you stay ahead of any issues.
5. Redirection Management
Some versions allow you to set up 301 redirects, sending users to an updated or alternative page instead of a dead link.
Real-Life Example
A Blogger’s Nightmare Turned Success
Sarah, a food blogger, had built an extensive recipe archive over the years. One day, she discovered that many of her old links leading to ingredient suppliers, external recipes, and product recommendations were broken. Her readers were frustrated, and her traffic took a hit.
After installing the Broken Links Plugin, Sarah quickly identified and fixed the problematic links. She set up redirects for old product pages, replaced expired links with updated resources, and removed outdated references. The result? Happier readers, improved SEO, and a thriving blog.
How to Get Started
1. Choose the Right Plugin
There are multiple broken link checkers available, including Broken Link Checker for WordPress, Dr. Link Check, and Dead Link Checker for general website scanning.
2. Install & Activate
Follow the installation steps for your CMS or website platform.
3. Run a Full Scan
Let the plugin analyze your site and provide a report of all broken links.
4. Take Action
Fix, replace, or redirect broken links as recommended.
5. Schedule Regular Checks
Set the plugin to run periodic scans to prevent future broken links from sneaking in.
Conclusion
Broken links might be the villains of website navigation, but with the right tools, you can defeat them effortlessly. The Broken Links Plugin is your digital superhero, ensuring that your website remains functional, user-friendly, and SEO-optimized.
So, don’t let broken links ruin your hard work. Install a broken link checker today and turn every dead end into a seamless, rewarding user experience. Your visitors and search engines will thank you!
Make sure to fix those...
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Recent Comments
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Lol🧚🏼♂️
Welcome Teri, thanks for letting me know (doing the same) make sure to read Hein's advice on these... (false positives and other stuff)
Ps
Let us know when stuck (meaning, no panic)
Thanks for sharing, Fleeky!
Broken Links Checker is fantastic! It amazes me how quickly affiliate links become outdated.
Hi Shirley!
Glad you found it helpful! 😊 Fixing broken links doesn’t have to be a hassle, there are free and easy tools that make the process smooth. Have you tried any plugins yet, or are you just getting started with link-checking?
Fleeky
I use Link Whisper. It's excellent for finding and helping to set internal links (it literally saves me hours), and is great for for finding all kinds of broken links.
;-)
Richard
That sounds like a fantastic tool Richard! 😊
I haven’t used Link Whisper myself, but it sounds like a real time-saver: especially for internal linking and broken links in one go. Do you find it catches everything accurately, or do you still do manual checks?
Fleeky
👀
A great question. Every suggested link has to be checked before implementing. It saves me hours of research finding possibilities. It's one of two plugins that I actually pay for.
;-)
Richard
Thanks, Dave! 😊 RankMath is great for detecting 404 errors and setting up redirects, which is super useful. Do you also use a dedicated plugin for fixing broken links, or do you mainly rely on RankMath’s reporting?
Fleeky
See more comments
Hi Fleeky. I tried to run Broken Link Checker on my 2 sites this evening but it keeps saying that the "Scan initiation failed. The site may be offline or inaccessible due to a security firewall or other reasons. Please add BLC user agent and IP to your allow list as as outlined in our troubleshooting guide and retry the scan. Contact support if the issue persists."
I know my sites are online and I just wondered if you have ever had this problem, and how you fixed it. I'm not a coder so I have no idea how to add things to to check the firewall. Any ideas?
Yes! The error message suggests that Broken Link Checker (BLC) is being blocked from scanning the website. Here are the most likely causes and how to fix them:
1. Firewall or Security Plugin Blocking BLC
Many security plugins (like Wordfence, Sucuri, or Cloudflare) automatically block bots and scanners, including BLC.
Solution: Check your security plugin settings and add BLC's user agent and IPs to the allowlist (whitelist). You can usually find this in the "Firewall" or "Bot Protection" section.
2. Hosting Provider Blocking the Scan
Some web hosts block automated scans to prevent excessive server load.
Solution: Contact your hosting provider and ask if they are blocking BLC. If so, request them to allow the BLC user agent and IPs.
3. Rate Limiting or DDoS Protection
If your site has rate limiting or Cloudflare’s "Bot Fight Mode" enabled, it may block the BLC scan.
Solution: Temporarily disable strict security settings and try again. If using Cloudflare, go to the Firewall settings and create a rule to allow BLC’s user agent.
4. Incorrect Site URL or Redirects
If your site has forced HTTPS or redirects that BLC doesn't follow correctly, the scan might fail.
Solution: Ensure the URL entered in BLC matches your site's actual URL (including HTTP/HTTPS consistency).
5. Server Issues or High Traffic
If the server is under heavy load, it might fail to respond to BLC’s requests.
Solution: Try running the scan at a different time when your site is less busy.
Next Steps for a Non-Coder
Since you mentioned not being familiar with coding or firewall settings, here's what you can do:
- Check your security plugin (if installed) and look for a "Whitelist" or "Allowlist" setting.
- Contact your hosting provider and ask if they are blocking Broken Link Checker.
- Try running the scan at a different time or on a different internet connection (if possible).
Let me know if you need step-by-step guidance on any of these! 😊
Thanks Fleeky. I'll try all of those. All my sites are hosted here at WA.
Then better ask site support... 🤗