Checks / Links, canonical and speed
Link to a page that no longer exists
A link that sends readers, and crawlers that follow it, to a page that is gone (HTTP 404 or 410) or to a domain that no longer exists. We asked twice, 30 seconds apart, and got the same answer.
broken_external_link · Links, canonical and speed · Notice
What triggers it
A page links to a domain name that does not exist (confirmed by asking twice). Other dead external links are not counted.
What to change
Replace the link with a working address or remove it.
How to confirm the fix
- Open the address named in the evidence: it should load the page you mean, not an error
- Press 'Re-check 1 page'
How common it is
We have not measured how common this is on a sample of sites. Counts appear here when a study covers it.
About this check
| Check ID | broken_external_link |
|---|---|
| Report section | Links, canonical and speed |
| Severity | Notice |
| How it is decided | Measured: read directly from the page or the server's response. |
| Added | Version 11, 24 October 2026 |
| Status | Measured in every report |
| Report gives the code | No, the fix is described in words |
Related checks
- Slow page
- www and non-www both serve the site
- No canonical URL
- Content-Security-Policy allows inline scripts
See whether it applies to your site
Paste your address and we crawl up to 10 pages and show every issue we find, with its fix. No account, no card.
Every plan crawls up to its page limit and lists these checks with the fix: plans.
How an audit works: method