A broken link is a link on your page that points to a page or file that no longer exists or has moved. When someone clicks it, they hit an error page (usually "404 Not Found") instead of the content they expected. This can happen because the destination was deleted, the address was mistyped, or a page you linked to on another site changed its URL.
Why it matters
Every broken link is a dead end for a visitor, which erodes trust and can send them away from your site entirely. Search engines interpret repeated dead links as a sign the site isn't being maintained, so they crawl it less thoroughly, which can reduce how much of your site appears in search results.
How to fix it
First, identify where each broken link points and decide the correct destination: the updated URL, a replacement page, or removal of the link.
For a link you own (a page on your site that moved): Set up a redirect from the old address to the new one so the link still works.
WordPress Install a redirect plugin (such as "Redirection"), then add a rule mapping the old path to the new one. No code needed.
Nginx
Add a redirect inside the relevant server block:
location = /old-page {
return 301 /new-page;
}
Apache
Add this to your .htaccess file:
Redirect 301 /old-page /new-page
Cloudflare Go to Rules → Redirect Rules, create a rule matching the old URL path, and set the destination to the new URL with a 301 (permanent) status.
For a link to another website that changed: Edit the link in your page and replace the address with the current, working URL. If the destination is gone for good, remove the link or point it somewhere relevant.
<a href="https://example.com/correct-page">Link text</a>
For a mistyped link:
Edit the page and correct the address. Watch for common mistakes: a missing letter, http where https is needed, or a stray space.
How to check it worked
Open the page and click each link that was broken to confirm it now lands on the intended content. For redirects, visiting the old address should quietly take you to the new page without an error.