A visitor clicks a link on your site and lands on a “Page not found” message. Most will leave, and some will not come back. Broken links are easy to create and easy to miss, especially on a site that has grown over time.
This guide shows how to find broken links on a small website using free tools and how to fix them.
Quick answer
To find broken links on a small website, crawl the site with a free link checker such as Screaming Frog, Ahrefs Webmaster Tools, or an online broken link checker, and check the Pages report in Google Search Console for “Not found (404)” pages. Then fix each broken link by updating the URL, redirecting the old page, or removing the link.
What is a broken link?
A broken link is a link that leads to a page that no longer works. The page may be deleted, moved without a redirect, or the address may have a typo. The visitor usually sees a 404 error, which means the page was not found.
There are two kinds:
- Internal broken links point to a page on your own site.
- External broken links point to another website that has moved, closed, or changed its address.
Why broken links matter for SEO
- They hurt the visitor’s experience. People who hit a dead end often leave.
- They waste crawling effort. Google spends time on dead URLs instead of your useful pages.
- They break the flow of link value. An internal link to a dead page passes nothing on.
- They make a site look neglected. Outdated pages and dead links reduce trust.
A few broken links will not sink a site, but a small site can fix them all in an afternoon, so it is worth doing.
How to find broken links for free
No single tool finds everything, so use one crawler plus Search Console. Free plans and limits change, so check each tool’s current terms.
| Tool | What it finds | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Google Search Console | Pages Google tried to reach and could not (404 errors) | Seeing what Google sees, at no cost |
| Screaming Frog SEO Spider | Broken internal and external links across a crawl | A full crawl of a small site; the free version is limited to 500 URLs |
| Ahrefs Webmaster Tools | Broken links and other site issues for sites you verify | A free recurring audit of your own site |
| Online broken link checker | Broken links on a page or a small site | A quick check without installing anything |
| WordPress link checker plugin | Broken links inside posts and pages | Ongoing checks, but it can slow some sites, so many people run it only when needed. |
Method 1: Google Search Console
- Open Google Search Console and select Indexing, then Pages.
- Scroll to the list of reasons pages are not indexed and select Not Found (404).
- Open the list of URLs and note each one.
- Select a URL and use Inspect URL to see where Google found it. This tells you which pages link to the dead one.
This method finds only the URLs Google has already tried to crawl, so use it with a crawler.
Method 2: Crawl your site with Screaming Frog
- Download and install the free Screaming Frog SEO Spider.
- Enter your homepage address and start the crawl.
- When it finishes, open the Response Codes tab and filter by Client Error (4xx).
- Select a broken URL and open the Inlinks tab at the bottom. This lists every page that links to it.
- Export the list to a spreadsheet for fixing.
A small site of fewer than 500 URLs fits the free version.
Method 3: Ahrefs Webmaster Tools
- Create a free Ahrefs Webmaster Tools account and verify that you own your site.
- Run a site audit and wait for the crawl to finish.
- Open the report on links and look for pages with a 404 error and the pages that link to them.
Method 4: Use an online broken link checker.
Paste your page or site address into a free online link checker. It reports dead links without any setup. These tools often limit how many pages they check, so they work best for small sites or single pages.
Method 5: Use a WordPress plugin
If your site runs on WordPress, a broken link checker plugin can scan posts and pages and show broken links in the dashboard. Run it when you need it and deactivate it afterwards if you notice your site slowing down.
How to fix broken links
The right fix depends on why the link is broken.
| Situation | Fix |
|---|---|
| Typo in the link address | Correct the address on the page that contains the link. |
| The page moved to a new URL. | Update the link to the new URL, and add a 301 redirect from the old URL. |
| Page deleted, and a similar page exists. | Add a 301 redirect from the old URL to the most relevant page. |
| Page deleted, and no similar page exists. | Remove the link, or let the old URL return a helpful 404 page. |
| The external site is gone. | Replace the link with a working source, or remove it. |
| External page moved | Update the link to the new address. |
Step-by-step process
- Export your broken links list from your crawler or Search Console into a spreadsheet.
- Add columns for the broken URL, the page that links to it, the fix, and the status.
- Fix internal links first, because you control them and they affect your own site flow most.
- For each deleted page, redirect it to the closest relevant page. Do not redirect everything to the homepage, because it gives visitors and Google the wrong signal.
- Replace or remove broken external links.
- Recrawl the site to confirm the broken links are gone.
- In Search Console, open the Pages report and select Validate fix for the 404 reason if it is available.
Make your 404 page helpful.
Some broken links are not worth fixing, such as an old link from another site. Give your 404 page a clear message, a search box, and links to your main pages so visitors can find what they want.
How to prevent broken links
- Redirect before you delete. When you remove or move a page, add a 301 redirect at the same time.
- Check links before you publish. Click each link in a new post to make sure it works.
- Keep URLs stable. Avoid changing URL structures or page names without a plan.
- Audit on a schedule. Run a crawl every month or every quarter, and after any redesign or migration.
- Review external links in old posts. Outside sites close or move, so older posts break most often.
FAQ
How often should I check for broken links?
For a small site, once a quarter is enough. Check also after you delete pages, change URLs, or redesign the site.
Do broken links hurt my Google rankings?
A few will not cause a penalty, but they hurt visitors and waste crawling, and many broken internal links point to neglected content. Fixing them is a simple way to improve your site.
What is the difference between a 404 and a 301?
A 404 means the page was not found. A 301 is a permanent redirect that sends visitors and Google from an old URL to a new one.
Should I redirect every 404 page to my homepage?
No. Redirect each page to the most relevant replacement. If none exists, let it return a 404 and show a helpful 404 page.
Conclusion
Broken links are quick to find and fix on a small site. Crawl your site with a free tool, check Search Console for 404 pages, fix internal links first, redirect deleted pages to the closest match, and recheck every few months.
Next, learn how to check page speed for a small business website, another quick technical check that improves the visitor experience.
