Broken Link
Broken links on a website are hyperlinks that no longer lead to their intended destination or web page. When a user clicks on a broken link, they are usually directed to an error page, commonly known as a “404 error” page, indicating that the content they were seeking is not available.
Broken links on a website are like roads that don’t take you to the right place. When you click on them, you end up on a page that says something like “Oops, this page isn’t here,” which can be frustrating.
- Content Removal or URL Changes: When a website undergoes updates, restructures its content, or removes specific pages, the links pointing to those pages may become broken.
- Typographical Errors: Mistakes made during link creation or updates can result in broken links.
- External Websites Changes: If a website links to external sources, and those sources change their URLs or remove content, it can lead to broken links on the referring website.
Having broken links on a website is a problem because
- It Annoys Visitors: People get annoyed when they can’t find what they’re looking for, and they might leave the website.
- It Affects Google: Google and other search engines don’t like broken links. If a website has too many of them, it can make the site show up lower in search results.
- It Looks Bad: A website with lots of broken links doesn’t seem very reliable or professional.
To fix this, website owners need to regularly check their links. They can use tools to find and repair the broken ones. It’s also a good idea to make sure that if a web page’s address changes, there’s a way for the old link to automatically send you to the new page. This helps keep the website in good shape and makes visitors happy because they can find what they’re looking for.