The 404 checker follows every link on your website and checks that it still works. It covers links to pages, images, scripts, stylesheets and embeds, on your own site and to other sites. For each broken link you see the page it is on and how to fix it. Broken links send visitors to a dead end and waste the time search engines spend on your site.
Run the 404 checker
- Open SEO from the product switcher.
- In the Broken links card on the overview, click 404 checker.
- Check the start path under URL to audit. Leave
/to start at the homepage. - Enter the number of pages under Max pages. By default this is the maximum your plan allows.
- Click Start audit.
The scan crawls your pages and checks every link. This can take a few minutes on a large site. When it is done, the Broken links card shows the result. To open the report, click View report next to the scan in Recent audits or in Audits. You can also click the number in the Broken links tile of the score card.
Read the report
The top of the report shows Broken on your site, Broken outbound, Links via redirects, Could not verify, Pages scanned and Links checked. Charts show the links by HTTP status, the broken links by problem and how many clicks your pages are from the homepage. The list Fix these pages first shows the pages with the most broken links.
The tabs below split the results:
- Broken links: links on your site that do not work, with the Broken URL, the reason and the page where it was Found on.
- Outbound: links to other websites that do not work.
- Redirects: links that work but pass through a redirect first. Link straight to the final address.
- Not verified: sites that block automated checks. They are not counted as broken. Open them yourself once.
- Sitemap: broken, redirecting or noindex addresses in your XML sitemap.
- Images: heavy images and images that could be saved as WebP or AVIF.
- All pages: every page that was scanned, with its status and number of links.
Use the search field to find a URL or link text. Each problem has a short fix, for example restore the page, change the link to the new address or add a 301 redirect.
Fix broken links and scan again
- Open the page from Found on in the website builder.
- Change or remove the broken link.
- Publish your website.
- Return to the report and click Scan again.
If a page moved to a new address, add a redirect from the old address. See Redirections and broken links.
Export the list as CSV
Click Export CSV at the top of the report to download the broken links as a spreadsheet. CSV export is part of Pro. On the free limits the button opens the upgrade screen. See SEO tool limits and Pro.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the report say my site is bigger than this scan?
The scan stopped at the page and link limit of your plan. The report shows those limits. Pro scans more pages and links per scan.
Why are some links listed under Not verified?
Some websites, such as social networks and some shops, block automated checks. WEMASY does not count them as broken. Open them in your browser to confirm they still work.
Can I check a site that is not mine?
Yes, as a competitor. Select Competitor in the audit popup. Competitor scans are capped at a smaller number of pages.