A website with broken links is one with hyperlinks that no longer work or lead to dead ends. Users who click on a broken link cannot access the intended webpage or resource. Instead, they may encounter error messages like “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 frustrate users as it disrupts their browsing experience and makes it challenging to find the information they seek. Additionally, broken links can negatively impact search engine optimization (SEO) efforts, as search engines may penalize websites with many 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 online tools that scan the website for broken links and provide a report to guide the necessary corrections.