Is this broken link checker free to use?

Yes, 100% free. No account, no subscription. Enter any URL and check as many pages as you need.

Why does a 404 link still work in my browser?

The tool verifies links by checking their HTTP status code via a server-side request. Some websites block automated requests and return a 403 or 404, even though the page loads normally in a browser. Always verify these manually before removing a link.

Why does the tool fail to scan some pages?

Some websites block server-side crawlers using Cloudflare, bot detection, or authentication walls. If the tool cannot fetch the page, it will show an error message. In these cases, use a browser extension or dedicated crawling tool.

What does a 301 redirect mean in link checking?

A 301 means the linked resource has permanently moved to a new URL. The link technically works but redirects the user. For SEO, updating the link to point directly to the new URL avoids an unnecessary redirect hop and preserves link equity.

How is this different from a backlink checker?

This tool checks links on a page (outbound and internal links from the page you enter). A backlink checker verifies links from external sites pointing to your pages. For backlink verification, use the OmniWebKit Backlink Auditor.

Broken Link Checker

Scan any webpage for broken links instantly. Find 404s, server errors, and dead links that hurt your SEO and user experience.

How it works

Fetch page

The tool fetches the HTML of your URL through a server-side proxy to avoid CORS restrictions.

Extract links

All anchor links are extracted from the page HTML, excluding internal anchors, mailto, and tel links.

Check status

Each link is checked for its HTTP status code in parallel batches of 5. Results are sorted — broken first.

Free Broken Link Checker — Find Dead Links on Any Webpage

Broken links are one of the most damaging issues a website can have. When a user clicks a link and lands on a 404 error page, the experience is immediately frustrating. They will likely leave — and they may not come back. For your SEO, broken links are just as damaging. Search engine crawlers follow links to discover and index your content. When they encounter broken outbound or internal links, it signals poor site maintenance and reduces your crawl efficiency.

The OmniWebKit Broken Link Checker makes it easy to find every broken link on a webpage. Enter any URL, click Check Links, and the tool fetches the page, extracts all linked URLs, and checks each one for a valid HTTP response. Results appear in a clear, colour-coded list — broken links in red, working links in green — with filter tabs and a Link Health Score so you can assess the state of your link profile at a glance.

This tool is used by SEO professionals auditing client websites, web developers checking pages before launch, content managers maintaining long-running blogs and resource pages, and website owners who want to ensure their site delivers a clean, error-free experience on every page.

How to Check for Broken Links — Step by Step

Enter the URL of the page you want to check

Type or paste the full URL of the page you want to scan. Include the https:// prefix. The tool will accept any public webpage URL — your homepage, a blog post, a resource page, or a product listing.

Click Check Links

Hit the Check Links button or press Enter. The tool first fetches the page HTML through a server-side proxy (which avoids browser CORS restrictions), then extracts every anchor link on the page.

Wait for the scan to complete

Each extracted link is verified by checking its HTTP response code. Links are processed in parallel batches of 5. A progress bar tracks the scan. Larger pages with many links may take 20–60 seconds.

Review the results

Results show a Link Health Score, summary stats (Total, Working, Broken, Redirects), and a full colour-coded list. Use the filter tabs to view only Broken or Working links. Click any URL to open it in a new tab.

Export the report

Click Export CSV to download the full results as a CSV file, or Copy Report to copy the summary to your clipboard. Use the CSV to share with developers, clients, or to import into your project management tool.

Understanding HTTP Status Codes in Link Checking

When the tool checks a link, it receives an HTTP status code in the response. Here is what the most common codes mean and what action you should take.

200 OK

The link is working correctly. The server returned a valid response. No action needed.

301 Moved Permanently

The resource has permanently moved to a new URL. The link technically works but updating it to the new URL avoids an unnecessary redirect hop, which is better for SEO and slightly faster for users.

302 Found

Temporary redirect. The resource temporarily moved. If the redirect has been in place for a long time, consider updating the link to the current URL.

403 Forbidden

The server refused the request. The link URL is valid but access is restricted. This may be a false positive if the site blocks crawlers — check the link manually in a browser.

404 Not Found

The page does not exist. Either the URL was never valid, the content was deleted, or it was moved without a redirect. This should be fixed — update the link, find an alternative source, or remove the link.

500 Server Error

The linked server experienced an internal error. This is likely temporary — recheck the link later. If the error persists, the external site may have a serious issue.

Error / Timeout

The request failed or timed out. The server may be down, blocking automated requests, or the URL may be completely unreachable. Check the link manually in a browser.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this broken link checker free?+

Yes, 100% free. No account required. Enter any URL and check as many pages as you need. The tool uses a server-side proxy to fetch pages and check links.

What types of links does the checker find?+

The tool extracts all anchor (<a href="...">) links from the page HTML. It excludes internal page anchors (#fragment), mailto: links, tel: links, and javascript: pseudo-links, as these are not HTTP resources that can be verified with a status code.

Why does a link show as broken even though it works in my browser?+

Some websites block automated requests from crawlers, bots, or data centres. The link may return a 403 Forbidden or timeout error when checked programmatically, even though it works fine in a browser. Always manually verify 403 errors before removing or updating the link.

What is the Link Health Score?+

The Link Health Score is the percentage of total links on the page that returned a successful 200 OK response. A score of 90% or higher is excellent. A lower score indicates that a significant portion of your outbound or internal links are broken, redirecting, or unreachable.

Can I export the broken link report?+

Yes. Click Export CSV to download a CSV file containing all link URLs, their HTTP status codes, and whether they are working or broken. You can open this in Excel, Google Sheets, or import it into your project management or bug-tracking tool.

How many links can the tool check per page?+

There is no hard limit. The tool processes links in batches of 5 in parallel. For pages with 50–100 links, a scan typically takes 20–40 seconds. Pages with 200+ links may take 1–2 minutes. Very large pages are checked completely, though the UI may not update live for every single link.

Why does the tool sometimes fail to scan a page?+

Some websites actively block server-side crawlers using Cloudflare, bot detection, authentication walls, or strict CORS policies. If the tool cannot fetch the page HTML, it will show an error message explaining the issue. In these cases, use a browser extension or a dedicated crawling tool.

Can I use this to check broken backlinks?+

This tool checks links on a page, not links pointing to your page. To verify that backlinks from external sites are still live and pointing to your target URL, use the SEO Backlink Auditor tool instead.