Frequently Asked Questions
How do I check for broken links?
Simply enter your website URL into the Broken Link Checker and click Check Links. The tool will quickly scan your pages and display any broken or dead links it finds, along with their status codes.
Why is it important to fix broken links?
Fixing broken links is crucial for SEO and user experience. Dead links frustrate visitors, reduce trust, and can hurt your rankings because search engines may struggle to crawl your site effectively.
How often should I check my website for broken links?
Best practice is to check your website at least once a month, or more frequently if you regularly publish new content or update existing pages.
What do the HTTP status codes mean?
Here are the most common HTTP status codes and what they indicate.
Quick tip:
2xx = success, 3xx = redirects, 4xx = client errors, 5xx = server errors.
| Code | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 200 | OK — The request succeeded. |
| 201 | Created — The resource was successfully created. |
| 204 | No Content — Successful request, but no content returned. |
| 301 | Moved Permanently — The resource has a new permanent URL. |
| 302 | Found — Temporary redirect to another URL. |
| 307 | Temporary Redirect — The request should be repeated with another URL. |
| 308 | Permanent Redirect — The resource is permanently moved; method remains unchanged. |
| 400 | Bad Request — The request cannot be processed due to a client error. |
| 401 | Unauthorized — Authentication is required. |
| 403 | Forbidden — The server understood the request but refuses to authorize it. |
| 404 | Not Found — The requested resource could not be found. |
| 405 | Method Not Allowed — The method is not supported for the requested resource. |
| 410 | Gone — The resource is no longer available. |
| 418 | I’m a teapot — Fun Easter egg from RFC 2324. |
| 429 | Too Many Requests — Rate limit exceeded. |
| 500 | Internal Server Error — A generic server error occurred. |
| 501 | Not Implemented — The server does not support the functionality required. |
| 502 | Bad Gateway — Invalid response from the upstream server. |
| 503 | Service Unavailable — The server is temporarily overloaded or down. |
| 504 | Gateway Timeout — The upstream server failed to respond in time. |
For a complete reference, check the official IANA HTTP Status Code Registry.
Why do some social networks like Twitter or LinkedIn show error codes even when links work?
Some websites — especially social networks like Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram — use extra layers of protection against bots, scrapers, or automated tools. Because of that, they sometimes return error-like status codes (such as 403, 429, or 999) even though the page loads fine in a normal browser.
These responses don’t necessarily mean the link is broken — it usually indicates that:
- The website blocks automated requests or rate-limits them.
- The server requires authentication or specific headers (like a valid user-agent).
- The content is behind a login wall or geographic restriction.
Tip: When you see a “broken” link to a major platform (like Twitter or LinkedIn), double-check it manually in your browser. If it opens normally, you can safely ignore the automated “error” result — your visitors will still reach the page just fine.