How to Fix Broken Links
Broken links cost conversions and waste crawl budget. Fixing them is straightforward once you separate internal from external.
Scan For Broken Links →Internal links
- Redirect the old URL to the closest relevant page with a 301.
- Update the source link too — redirects are a safety net, not a fix.
- Never redirect everything to the homepage; it is treated as a soft 404.
External links
- Replace with a current source, or link to an archived copy.
- Remove the link if the reference no longer adds anything.
- Re-check periodically; external sites change without telling you.
Prevention
- Keep a redirect map for every URL change.
- Use a custom 404 page that offers search and popular pages.
- Re-scan after every migration or content cleanup.