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Broken Link Checker

Paste a page URL and this tool fetches it, extracts every link, and probes each one to flag the broken ones, both non-2xx responses and links that are unreachable due to timeouts or DNS failures. It checks the first 30 unique links per scan.

How to use this tool

  1. 1

    Paste the full URL of the page you want to check (for example https://example.com/blog) into the input field.

  2. 2

    Click Analyze and wait while the server fetches the page and probes each link it finds.

  3. 3

    Read the two tallies at the top: Checked (how many links were probed) and Broken (how many failed).

  4. 4

    Scan the per-link list below, where each broken link is highlighted in red with its HTTP status code or error reason.

How does a broken link checker work?

A broken link is an anchor (<a href>) that points to a destination that no longer responds successfully, the classic 404 Not Found, a 5xx server error, or a host that has gone away entirely. Broken links frustrate readers and waste search-engine crawl budget, so finding them matters for both UX and SEO. This tool works server-side: RevealTheme's server fetches the URL you supply, parses the HTML with Cheerio, collects every <a href>, and resolves each one to an absolute URL while skipping fragment (#), mailto:, tel:, and javascript: links and de-duplicating by stripping fragments. It then probes the first 30 unique links (in the order they appear in the page) with a concurrency of 6. Each probe sends a HEAD request first using a RevealThemeBot/1.0 User-Agent and a 10-second timeout; redirects are followed, so a 301 that lands on a 200 is treated as healthy. If HEAD returns 405, 403, or a 5xx, the tool retries with a full GET to avoid false positives, since many servers reject HEAD. A link is reported broken whenever the final response is not 2xx/3xx or the request throws (timeout, DNS error, refused connection).

Common use cases

  • Verifying a new blog post or landing page before publishing, so no outbound reference 404s on launch day.

  • Spot-checking a high-traffic page after a site migration, where redirects and moved pages often leave dangling links.

  • Auditing a resources or links roundup page where external sites you cited may have quietly disappeared.

  • Confirming that internal navigation and footer links still resolve after a CMS template change.

  • Checking a documentation page for dead links to external API references or download mirrors.

  • Quickly validating a competitor or client page during an SEO review without installing a desktop crawler.

Frequently asked questions

Does this scan my whole website?▼
No. It checks only the links found on the single page URL you submit, and only the first 30 unique ones. It does not follow those links recursively or crawl your sitemap, so treat it as a fast spot-check. For a full-site audit, use a dedicated crawler like Screaming Frog or Sitebulb.
What counts as a broken link here?▼
Any link whose final response (after following redirects) is not a success or redirect status, plus any link the server cannot reach at all, timeouts after 10 seconds, DNS failures, and refused connections. Each result shows the HTTP status code or the error reason.
Does the check run in my browser, so my data stays private?▼
No, this is a server-side tool. RevealTheme's server fetches the page you submit and probes its links on your behalf, identifying itself with a RevealThemeBot/1.0 User-Agent. The URL you enter is sent to our server to perform the scan.
Why is a link I know works being reported as broken?▼
Two common reasons. Some sites block automated requests: a WAF (Cloudflare, host firewalls) may return 403 to our bot User-Agent even though the page loads fine in a browser. And a link behind a login wall may return an error or an unexpected status. Verify flagged links manually before assuming they are dead.
Why might a dead-looking link show as OK?▼
Links to subscription or paywalled content often redirect to a login page that returns 200, so they pass the check even though the real content is inaccessible. Redirect chains are followed, so a soft 404 that returns 200 will also look healthy.
Does it retry with GET if HEAD fails?▼
Sometimes. The tool sends a HEAD request first because it is cheap, then retries with a full GET only when HEAD returns 405, 403, or a 5xx, or when the HEAD request throws. A plain 404 on HEAD is reported broken without a GET retry.
How often should I check?▼
Quarterly for stable sites, and monthly for active sites where external links accumulate and link rot sets in faster. Re-check any page right after editing it or migrating the site.

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