Dead Links

Dead linksDead links are links pointing to a URL that is no longer reachable, usually returning status code 404. Internal dead links that lead users and crawlers into a dead end are especially problematic.Open glossary entry → (broken links) are links pointing to a URL that is no longer reachable, usually returning status code 404HTTP status 404 (Not Found) means the server is reachable but the requested URL does not exist. Individual 404 errors are normal; internal dead links are the real problem.Open glossary entry →. They can be internal (within your own site) or external (from other sites to yours).

Especially problematic are internal dead links, because your own site leads users and crawlers into a dead end. Consequences include:

• users are more likely to bounce,
• internal linkInternal linking refers to links that connect pages within the same website. They control how search engines and users find and thematically classify content.Open glossary entry → signals are interrupted,
• crawlers waste time on non-existent URLs.

Internal dead links should be fixed directly at the source rather than permanently masking them with a redirectA redirect forwards users and search engines from one URL to another. It can be permanent (301) or temporary (302) and transfers signals to the target URL.Open glossary entry →. External dead links are not always your problem; they become relevant mainly when the target URL had backlinks or traffic. In that case a 301 redirectHTTP status 301 signals a permanent redirect: a URL has been permanently replaced by another. Search engines transfer the signals to the target URL.Open glossary entry → to a suitable page is often advisable.