A broken link leaves readers without the resource you promised. A failed tutorial embed can make the explanation impossible to follow.
I once stumbled upon an article promising to be “The Definitive Guide to Mastering Obsidian for PKM“. Jackpot, I thought. But every external link was broken. Every. Single. One. Even the video that embedded. It felt like opening a treasure chest only to find it empty. Needless to say, I left that site super annoyed, and never returned.
Link-checking tools can identify failures across your site so you can locate and repair them.
Five Tools to Detect Broken Links and Embeds
1. Screaming Frog SEO Spider
Overview:
Screaming Frog SEO Spider crawls websites to identify broken links and embeds.
Key Features:
- Comprehensive Crawling: Scans your entire website to detect broken links and embeds.
- Detailed Reports: Provides extensive reports on link errors, HTTP status codes, and more.
- Custom Filters: Allows users to customize the scan by setting specific parameters.
Pricing:
Screaming Frog offers a free version with limited features. The paid plan, which unlocks full capabilities, is available at £149.00 per year.
2. Ahrefs
Overview:
Ahrefs is a well-known SEO toolset with an in-depth broken link checker that helps maintain website integrity. Their Broken links checking tool is a great one.
Key Features:
- Broken Link Alerts: Sends notifications when broken links are detected.
- Comprehensive Data: Offers insights on backlinks, internal links, and outbound links.
- User-Friendly Interface: Easy to navigate, making it accessible for users of all expertise levels.
Pricing:
Ahrefs offers plans starting at $99 per month, which include access to their full suite of SEO tools.
3. W3C Link Checker
Overview:
W3C Link Checker is a free, web-based tool for detecting broken links.
Key Features:
- Easy-to-Use: Enter a URL to quickly scan for broken links.
- Detailed Output: Provides a comprehensive list of broken links and related information.
- Customizable Options: Allows users to set specific check parameters.
Pricing:
This tool is available for free, making it an accessible option for small websites and individual webmasters.
4. Google Search Console
Overview:
Google Search Console provides tools for monitoring website performance and identifying problems found during Google’s crawls.
Key Features:
- Link Reports: Provides detailed reports on link errors found by Google crawlers.
- SEO Insights: Offers insights into how broken links impact search performance.
- Integration Options: Easily integrates with other Google services for comprehensive analysis.
Pricing:
Google Search Console is a free tool provided by Google.
5. Broken Link Monitor
Overview:
Specifically designed for WordPress sites, Broken Link Monitor is part of Scanfully’s Content Health features, alongside the Broken Media Monitor.
Key Features:
- Automated Scans: Scans your WordPress site for broken links, internal and external.
- Dashboard Alerts: Provides alerts directly on your WordPress dashboard.
- Editing Links: Open the affected WordPress content from the dashboard, then edit or remove the link.
Pricing:
The feature is part of Scanfully’s pricing per site. You’ll also get the Broken Media Monitor, Uptime monitoring, WordPress Activity Log, and much more for that same price.
So Which One Do You Pick?
Consider Screaming Frog SEO Spider or Ahrefs if you also need the broader crawl and SEO features described above. Compare those features with your needs before paying for the larger toolset.
The W3C Link Checker and Google Search Console offer free ways to start checking for link problems.
For WordPress sites, our Broken Link Monitor for WordPress provides automated scans and links from the report to the affected content.
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