Published on 2025-06-29T21:25:54Z
What Are Broken Links? Examples and Solutions for CRO, UX, and SEO
Broken Links, also known as dead or 404 links, are hyperlinks that lead to non-existent or error pages when clicked. They can occur for various reasons, including moved content without proper redirects, typographical errors in URLs, and external sites removing or changing resources. In the context of Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO), User Experience (UX), and Search Engine Optimization (SEO), broken links undermine user trust, disrupt navigation, and impede search engine crawlers, leading to lower rankings and missed revenue opportunities.
Regularly auditing and rectifying broken links is essential for maintaining a seamless site journey, improving crawlability, and maximizing user engagement. Tools like Prevue.me excel at automating this process by scanning for broken links, prioritizing them by impact, and providing clear, actionable recommendations to boost lead generation, UX, and SEO performance.
By proactively addressing broken links, businesses can ensure visitors stay engaged, trust is maintained, and marketing efforts are fully realized.
Broken links
Hyperlinks that lead to non-existent or error pages, harming UX, SEO, and CRO if not detected and fixed.
Why Broken Links Matter
Broken links disrupt user journeys and signal poor site quality to both visitors and search engines. When a user encounters a 404 error, trust erodes and bounce rates increase. Search crawlers waste valuable crawl budget on dead pages, which can negatively impact SEO rankings. For CRO, broken links break conversion funnels and lead to lost opportunities. Ensuring all links resolve correctly is thus vital for a high-performing website.
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User experience (ux)
Broken links frustrate visitors by interrupting their journey, leading to higher bounce rates and lower engagement.
- Frustration and trust:
Encountering a 404 error diminishes user trust and can discourage further exploration.
- Navigation issues:
Disrupted navigation flow makes it harder for users to find desired content, leading to abandonment.
- Frustration and trust:
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Search engine optimization (seo)
Search engines penalize dead links by allocating crawl budget to errors instead of valuable content.
- Crawl errors:
Google Search Console reports broken links under coverage issues, which can signal poor site health.
- Indexing problems:
Repeated 404s can lead to deindexing of pages and negatively impact keyword rankings.
- Crawl errors:
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Conversion rate optimization (cro)
Dead ends in conversion funnels lead to lost leads, decreasing overall revenue potential.
- Abandoned funnels:
A broken link on a checkout or signup page can prematurely end a user’s purchase or registration process.
- Missed opportunities:
Every broken link is a missed chance to collect leads, drive sales, or deliver value.
- Abandoned funnels:
Common Causes of Broken Links
Broken links often stem from simple oversights or content changes. Common causes include site restructuring without redirects, URL typos, external sites removing resources, and misconfigured redirects. Identifying these root causes allows teams to implement targeted prevention and remediation strategies.
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Moved or deleted pages
Removing or relocating content without implementing proper redirects leaves URLs pointing to nowhere.
- Site restructuring:
Changing directory structures or permalink settings without updating links.
- Content deprecation:
Deleting outdated or obsolete pages without redirecting legacy URLs.
- Site restructuring:
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Typographical errors
Manual mistakes in URL entry or copy-paste errors create incorrect links.
- Human error:
Misspelling file names, paths, or parameters in anchor tags.
- Markup typos:
Incorrectly formatted HTML or Markdown links leading to invalid URLs.
- Human error:
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External link rot
Third-party sites may change their structure or go offline, causing outbound links to break.
- Partner updates:
External partners modify their URLs without notice.
- Domain expiry:
External domains lapse or get repurposed.
- Partner updates:
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Misconfigured redirects
Improperly set up 301⁄302 redirects can create loops or point to non-existent pages.
- Redirect loops:
Multiple sequential redirects exceeding browser or crawler limits.
- Broken redirect chains:
Missing intermediate redirects break the path to the final destination.
- Redirect loops:
How to Detect Broken Links
Detecting broken links early helps minimize their impact on UX, SEO, and CRO. Leveraging a combination of automated tools and manual checks ensures comprehensive coverage and quick remediation.
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Using prevue.me
prevue.me performs a comprehensive crawl of your site to detect missing or error‐returning links. It ranks each broken link by its severity and potential impact on conversion, UX, and SEO, then delivers clear, prioritized recommendations.
- Automated site crawl:
Full-site scan to discover all internal and external broken links.
- Impact scoring:
Assigns a priority level based on traffic and conversion data.
- Actionable critiques:
Provides step-by-step guidance on how to fix each issue.
- Automated site crawl:
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Browser extensions
Extensions like Check My Links highlight dead links directly within the browser for quick on-page verification.
- Real-time feedback:
Instantly highlights broken links as you browse.
- Quick analysis:
Enables rapid validation without leaving the page.
- Real-time feedback:
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Cms plugins
Plugins such as Broken Link Checker for WordPress automatically scan content and notify admins of issues.
- Email notifications:
Sends alerts when new broken links are detected.
- Bulk edit interface:
Allows mass updating or removal of bad links from the dashboard.
- Email notifications:
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Google search console
The Coverage report in Google Search Console lists crawl errors including 404 pages, helping pinpoint problematic URLs.
- Url inspection tool:
Checks the current status and renders the live version of a URL.
- Coverage issues report:
Shows errors, warnings, and valid pages in your site.
- Url inspection tool:
Best Practices for Preventing and Fixing Broken Links
Adopting proactive link management practices helps prevent link rot and maintain site health. Regular audits, proper redirects, and vigilant monitoring of both internal and external links are key to ensuring a seamless user experience and optimal search performance.
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Implement 301 redirects
Use 301 redirects when moving or deleting pages to preserve link equity and guide users to the correct content.
- Redirect mapping:
Maintain a document that maps old URLs to new destinations.
- Testing redirects:
Verify redirects in a staging environment before going live.
- Redirect mapping:
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Schedule regular audits
Set up monthly or quarterly link checks using automated tools like prevue.me or CMS plugins.
- Audit frequency:
Establish a cadence based on site size and update volume.
- Audit documentation:
Track findings and resolutions for future reference.
- Audit frequency:
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Use relative urls
Relative links adapt across subdomains and environments, reducing absolute URL mismatches.
- Link consistency:
Apply a standard linking format across all pages.
- Staging tests:
Ensure relative links work correctly in development and staging environments.
- Link consistency:
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Monitor external links
Keep a log of third-party URLs and verify them periodically to catch external link rot early.
- Link inventory:
Record all outbound links and their last-verified dates.
- Partner communication:
Notify external partners to update you on URL changes.
- Link inventory:
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Leverage prevue.me alerts
Configure prevue.me to send real-time alerts for new broken links and integrate these notifications into your team’s workflow.
- Email alerts setup:
Customize thresholds and recipients for broken link notifications.
- Workflow integration:
Connect prevue.me alerts to tools like Jira or Trello for seamless task assignment.
- Email alerts setup:
Case Study: Fixing Broken Links with Prevue.me
A mid-sized e-commerce site used prevue.me to audit its pages, identify high-impact broken links, and implement fixes. By following prevue.me’s prioritized recommendations, they redirected or updated over 200 links. The result was a 15% reduction in bounce rate, a 10% increase in organic traffic, and a 12% lift in conversion rate. This case study underscores the tangible benefits of systematic broken link management.
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Audit phase
The retailer conducted an initial prevue.me audit, uncovering 200+ broken links across product and informational pages.
- High-value page identification:
Focused on pages with the most traffic and revenue impact.
- Severity prioritization:
Ranked broken links by potential CRO and SEO impact.
- High-value page identification:
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Action & resolution
They applied prevue.me’s prioritized recommendations, adding redirects for moved product pages and updating internal links.
- Redirect implementation:
Configured 301 redirects for all relocated URLs.
- Content update workflow:
Updated CMS entries to replace dead links with correct URLs.
- Redirect implementation:
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Results & outcomes
Post-fix, the site saw a 15% decrease in bounce rate, a 10% increase in organic traffic, and a 12% lift in conversion rate.
- Improved seo rankings:
Several targeted keywords moved up by 3–5 positions.
- Enhanced user engagement:
Users spent more time on site and navigated deeper into content.
- Improved seo rankings: