Free tools / 404 checker
Free 404 checker
Enter a page. The tool tests the links on it and lists the ones that are broken, so you can fix or remove them.
See the 404 checker in 24 seconds
Type a web address and the free 404 checker lists the broken and redirecting links on that page.
Read the video transcript
Find broken links on any page, for free. Type the address, and press the button. It tests the links on the page, and lists the ones that are broken, or redirect. That is one page. SEOSage checks every page of your website, with no page limits. Start your fourteen-day free trial at seosage.co.
What this tool checks
- Tests up to 40 links on the page
- Lists links that return 404 or another error
- Lists links that redirect
- Separates links to your own site from links to other sites
- Tries again with a different request type, so servers that refuse quick checks are not flagged wrongly
Why it matters
A broken link is a link to a page that no longer exists. Visitors hit a dead end and search engines waste time. This tool checks one page. A full crawl checks every page.
Want this for every page of a website? See Broken link checks in SEOSage.
How to read your result
- Broken means the link returned an error such as 404, or did not answer.
- Redirecting links still work but add a step. Link to the final address.
- Internal means the same website. External means another website.
- We test 40 links at a time. The button under the table checks the next 40.
Common problems and fixes
- A link returns 404. Update it to the new address, remove it, or redirect the old address.
- A link redirects. Replace it with the final address.
- A link to another website is broken. Remove it or point to a working source.
- A link works in your browser but fails here. Some websites block automated checks. Test that link by hand.
What is a 404 checker?
A 404 checker is a tool that tests the links on a web page and shows which ones return a 404 error or another broken status. A 404 means the server could not find the page — it was deleted, moved without a redirect, or the URL was typed wrongly in the link. Broken links frustrate visitors who hit a dead end and waste the time search engine crawlers spend on your site. They also cost link value: if a backlink points to a page that no longer exists, none of that link value reaches your site.
This free 404 checker tests up to 40 links on a single page, separates internal links (to the same domain) from external links (to other domains), and also flags links that redirect rather than load directly. For broken links across an entire website — internal broken links found by following every link from every page — SEOSage finds them in one crawl and lists each broken URL alongside every page that links to it, so you can fix the source rather than just the destination.
How to fix a 404 broken link
- Update the link to the new address. If the page moved, point the link at the new URL. This is the cleanest fix.
- Redirect the old URL. If you control the broken destination, add a 301 redirect from the old address to a relevant page.
- Remove the link. If there is no good replacement, remove the link rather than pointing to a broken or irrelevant page.
- For external broken links, find an alternative source for the same fact or resource. Keeping dead outbound links is a poor experience for readers.
Questions about the 404 checker
What is a 404 error?
A 404 means the server could not find the page. It usually happens when a page was deleted or its address changed.
How do I find broken links on my website?
For one page, use this tool. For a whole website, crawl it with a tool like SEOSage, which lists every broken link and the pages that contain it.
Why does it check only 40 links?
The free tool keeps each check fast. It tests the first 40 links on the page. A full SEOSage crawl has no limit.
How do I fix a broken link?
Update the link to the new address, remove it, or redirect the old address to a relevant page.
Check every page of your website
SEOSage crawls your whole website on your own computer, with no page limit, and lists what to fix. Free for 14 days, cancel any time.