How to fix broken links: find them with Search Console and crawlers, then update, redirect, or remove each — for internal and inbound broken links alike.
How to Fix Broken Links
To fix broken links, find them using Google Search Console and a site crawler, then handle each by type: for internal broken links, update the link to the correct URL or fix the destination; for inbound broken links (other sites linking to a dead URL on your site), 301-redirect the old URL to a relevant live page to reclaim that link value. Broken links mainly hurt user experience and crawl efficiency, so fix them — proportionately. Here’s how.
This guide covers finding broken links and fixing each type — internal and inbound — the right way.
First: what broken links actually cost you
Setting expectations: broken links (links pointing to a 404 or dead page) mainly hurt user experience (visitors hit dead ends) and crawl efficiency (search engines waste effort). They’re not a catastrophic direct ranking hit on their own, but they signal poor maintenance, frustrate users, and — importantly — can waste inbound link value when other sites link to a dead URL on your site. So fix them, but with proportion: prioritize the ones that matter.
Step 1 — Find your broken links
You can’t fix what you can’t see. Sources:
- Google Search Console — flags crawl errors and pages returning 404s that Google has found.
- Site crawlers — tools that crawl your whole site and list broken internal (and outbound) links.
- Broken-link checker tools — dedicated scanners.
Catalogue the broken links, noting whether each is internal (a link on your site) or inbound (another site linking to a dead URL of yours).
Step 2 — Fix internal broken links
These are fully in your control — a link on your own site pointing to a dead URL. For each:
- If the destination moved → update the link to the correct new URL.
- If the destination should exist → restore or fix the page it points to.
- If the destination is genuinely gone → update the link to point to a relevant live page instead, or remove the link.
Internal broken links are the easiest wins — you just correct your own links.
Step 3 — Reclaim inbound broken links (the valuable ones)
This is the high-value step people miss: when another site links to a URL on your site that’s now dead, that link’s value is being wasted (it points to a 404). To reclaim it:
- 301-redirect the dead URL to the most relevant live page on your site. This recovers the link’s value and sends visitors somewhere useful.
- Find these via Search Console (404s with referring links) or a backlink tool showing links to broken pages.
Reclaiming inbound broken links recovers authority you’d otherwise lose — often worth more than fixing internal ones.
Step 4 — Fix or remove broken outbound links
Broken outbound links (your site linking to a dead external page) hurt user experience and look unmaintained. For each: update it to a working equivalent, point it to a different relevant source, or remove the link. Periodically checking outbound links keeps your content trustworthy.
Step 5 — Handle it proportionately
Don’t obsess. Prioritize:
- Broken links to/from important pages and inbound broken links with real link value (highest priority — real UX and authority impact).
- Internal broken links across the site (fix in batches).
- Minor outbound broken links (fix as you find them).
A genuinely gone page should return a 404 — the goal isn’t zero 404s, it’s no broken links pointing at pages that should resolve.
Step 6 — Prevent and monitor
Reduce future broken links:
- When you move or delete pages, set up 301-redirects immediately.
- Check links periodically (Search Console + a crawler) as a maintenance habit.
- Fix broken links as part of your regular SEO audits.
Ongoing monitoring keeps broken links from accumulating.
The bottom line
Fix broken links by finding them, then handling each by type: update internal ones, 301-redirect inbound ones to reclaim their value, and fix or remove broken outbound ones — prioritizing the links that carry real UX or authority impact. Fix them proportionately as maintenance, and prevent future ones with redirects when pages move. (SEO consulting finds and fixes broken links, reclaiming lost link value — or run a free seo check.)
Frequently asked questions
How do I fix broken links? Find them using Google Search Console and a site crawler, then fix each by type. For internal broken links, update the link to the correct URL or fix the destination page. For inbound broken links, where another site links to a dead URL of yours, 301-redirect the old URL to a relevant live page to reclaim the link value. For broken outbound links, update or remove them. Prioritize links with real UX or authority impact.
How do I find broken links on my website? Use Google Search Console, which flags crawl errors and pages returning 404s that Google has found, along with a site crawler or dedicated broken-link checker tool that scans your whole site and lists broken internal and outbound links. A backlink tool can reveal inbound links pointing to dead pages. Catalogue the broken links, noting whether each is internal, inbound from another site, or outbound to an external page.
Do broken links hurt SEO? Broken links mainly hurt user experience and crawl efficiency rather than causing a catastrophic direct ranking hit. Visitors hit dead ends, search engines waste crawl effort, and the links signal poor maintenance. Importantly, inbound broken links waste link value when other sites link to a dead URL on your site. So they’re worth fixing for user experience, crawl efficiency, and reclaiming authority, but with proportion rather than panic.
How do I fix a broken backlink to my site? When another site links to a URL on your site that’s now dead, 301-redirect that dead URL to the most relevant live page on your site. This reclaims the inbound link’s value, which would otherwise be wasted pointing to a 404, and sends visitors somewhere useful. Find these broken inbound links via Search Console’s report of 404s with referring links or a backlink tool showing links to broken pages.
Should I redirect or fix broken links? It depends on the type. For internal broken links, the best fix is usually to update the link to point to the correct or a relevant live URL. For inbound broken links from other sites, 301-redirect the dead URL to a relevant live page, since you can’t edit the other site’s link. If a linked page genuinely moved, a redirect preserves its value; if the link itself is just wrong, correcting the link is cleaner.
How often should I check for broken links? Check periodically as a maintenance habit — for example, as part of your regular SEO audits, and whenever you move or delete pages. Setting up 301-redirects immediately when pages change prevents many broken links from forming. Ongoing monitoring with Search Console and a crawler keeps broken links from accumulating, which is easier than fixing a large backlog later. Regular, proportionate attention is the right approach.
Is it bad to have 404 pages? Not inherently — 404s are a normal, expected part of the web, and a genuinely gone page should return a 404. The problem isn’t 404s themselves but broken links pointing to pages that should resolve, or inbound links to dead URLs whose value is being wasted. The goal isn’t zero 404s; it’s ensuring no broken links point at pages that should work, and reclaiming valuable inbound links to dead URLs via redirects.
Written by Bryan Collins, SEO & AEO strategist. Want broken links found and lost link value reclaimed? See SEO strategy work or run a free local search audit.