A website with broken links refers to a website that contains hyperlinks that no longer work or lead to dead ends. When a user clicks on a broken link, they are unable to access the intended webpage or resource. Instead, they may encounter error messages, such as “404 Not Found” or “Page Not Found.”
Broken links can occur for various reasons, including:
- The linked page or resource has been moved or deleted.
- The website’s URL structure has been changed, causing the link to become invalid.
- The website administrator made an error when creating the link.
- The linked webpage is temporarily unavailable or experiencing technical issues.
Having broken links on a website can be frustrating for users as it disrupts their browsing experience and makes it difficult for them to find the information they are looking for. Additionally, broken links can negatively impact search engine optimization (SEO) efforts, as search engines may penalize websites with a high number of broken links.
To ensure a positive user experience and maintain good SEO practices, website owners or administrators should regularly check and fix broken links on their sites. This can be done through manual checks or by using online tools that scan the website for broken links and provide a report to guide the necessary corrections.