Broken links can seriously damage your website’s SEO, user experience, and credibility. Visitors clicking on dead links may leave your site immediately, and search engines may reduce your rankings.
This is where the Broken Link Checker becomes extremely useful.
Ahrefs provides one of the most powerful SEO tools for identifying broken links on your website and competitors’ websites. In this guide, you’ll learn what Ahrefs Broken Link Checker is, how it works, and how to use it to improve SEO.
What Is Ahrefs Broken Link Checker?
Ahrefs Broken Link Checker is an SEO tool that scans websites and identifies broken backlinks and internal broken links.
A broken link usually returns an error like:
- 404 Not Found
- 500 Server Error
- Redirect errors
These links lead to pages that no longer exist, which negatively impacts both SEO performance and user experience.
Using Ahrefs, you can quickly detect these links and fix them before they harm your website.
Why Broken Links Are Bad for SEO
Broken links might seem like a small issue, but they can significantly affect your site.
1. Poor User Experience
When visitors click a link and see a 404 error, they often leave your website immediately.
This increases your bounce rate, which can negatively affect rankings.
2. Lost Link Equity
Backlinks are extremely valuable for SEO. If a backlink points to a broken page, you lose the link authority it passes.
3. Crawling Issues
Search engines waste their crawl budget on dead pages instead of indexing your important content.
Key Features of Ahrefs Broken Link Checker
Ahrefs offers powerful features that make it one of the best broken link tools available.
1. Find Broken Backlinks
You can discover backlinks pointing to non-existent pages on your site.
This allows you to recover lost SEO value by fixing or redirecting those pages.
2. Identify Internal Broken Links
Ahrefs also scans your site to find internal links that lead to 404 pages.
Fixing internal links improves both SEO and site navigation.
3. Competitor Broken Link Analysis
One of the best features of Ahrefs is the ability to analyze competitors’ broken backlinks.
You can use this information to perform broken link building and gain high-quality backlinks.
4. Detailed Link Data
Ahrefs provides detailed information including:
- Referring domains
- Anchor text
- URL rating
- Traffic data
This helps you understand the value of each link.
How to Use Ahrefs Broken Link Checker
Using Ahrefs to find broken links is simple.
Step 1: Open Ahrefs Site Explorer
Go to Ahrefs Site Explorer and enter your domain.
Example:
example.com
Step 2: Go to the Broken Links Report
Navigate to:
Pages → Best by Links → Broken
Here you will see pages that have backlinks but are currently broken.
Step 3: Analyze Broken Backlinks
Ahrefs will show:
- Broken page URL
- Number of backlinks
- Referring domains
This helps you prioritize which pages to fix.
Step 4: Fix or Redirect the Page
You have several options:
Option 1: Restore the page
Option 2: Redirect it to a relevant page
Option 3: Remove the broken link
How to Use Ahrefs for Broken Link Building
Broken link building is a powerful white-hat SEO strategy.
Here’s how it works.
Step 1: Find Broken Pages on Competitor Websites
Enter a competitor domain in Ahrefs Site Explorer.
Go to:
Backlinks → Broken
This will show pages that used to exist but are now deleted.
Step 2: Identify Websites Linking to the Broken Page
These websites are linking to content that no longer exists.
Step 3: Create Better Content
Create a similar or improved article covering the same topic.
Step 4: Outreach
Contact those websites and suggest your content as a replacement.
Example outreach message:
SubjectBroken link on your website
Broken link on your website
Hi,
I noticed that one of the links on your page is broken.
The link pointing to [broken page] currently returns a 404 error.
I recently published a similar resource that might be a helpful replacement.
You can check it here: [your link]
Hope it helps your readers!
Best regards
This strategy can help you earn high-quality backlinks.
Best Practices for Fixing Broken Links
To maintain strong SEO performance, follow these best practices.
Regularly Audit Your Website
Run broken link checks every month to keep your site healthy.
Use 301 Redirects
If a page is permanently removed, redirect it to a relevant page.
Update Internal Links
Make sure all internal links point to working pages.
Monitor Backlinks
Always monitor your backlinks so you don’t lose valuable link equity.
Alternatives to Ahrefs Broken Link Checker
While Ahrefs is one of the best tools, there are other options available.
1. Screaming Frog
A powerful crawler used by SEO professionals.
2. SEMrush
Offers broken link auditing through its Site Audit tool.
3. Dead Link Checker
A simple free tool for scanning websites.
However, Ahrefs remains one of the most accurate and data-rich SEO tools.
Ahrefs Broken Link Checker: Pros and Cons
Pros
✔ Accurate link database
✔ Powerful competitor analysis
✔ Detailed backlink reports
✔ Excellent SEO insights
Cons
✖ Paid tool
✖ Can be overwhelming for beginners
Final Thoughts
The Ahrefs Broken Link Checker is an essential SEO tool for identifying and fixing broken links. By regularly monitoring your website’s links, you can improve user experience, protect link equity, and boost your search rankings.
Additionally, Ahrefs allows you to uncover broken link building opportunities, making it easier to earn valuable backlinks from other websites.
If you want to improve your SEO performance and maintain a healthy website, using Ahrefs to monitor broken links is a strategy you should not ignore.
Abdullah Zulfiqar is Co-founder and Client Success Manager at RankWithLinks, an SEO agency helping businesses grow online. He specializes in client relations and SEO strategy, driving measurable results and maximizing ROI through effective link-building and digital marketing solutions.
