---
title: "Broken Link"
description: "A broken link is a hyperlink that points to a page or resource that no longer exists, returning a 404 error and creating a dead end for both users and search engine crawlers."
category: "Technical SEO"
date: "2026-03-05"
url: "https://getbeast.io/glossary/broken-link/"
type: "glossary"
---

# Broken Link

**Category:** Technical SEO | **Updated:** 2026-03-05

A broken link is a hyperlink that points to a page or resource that no longer exists, returning a 404 error and creating a dead end for both users and search engine crawlers.

---

## What Is a Broken Link?
A broken link (dead link) is a hyperlink that points to a URL that returns a 4xx error (usually 404). Broken links can be internal (pointing to pages on your own site) or external (pointing to other websites). They occur when pages are deleted, URLs change without redirects, or external sites go offline.

## Why Broken Links Matter for SEO
Internal broken links waste crawl budget, break the flow of link equity through your site, and create dead ends for crawlers. External broken links harm user experience. A site with many broken links signals poor maintenance to search engines. Broken links from external sites pointing to your pages mean lost link equity if you don't have redirects in place.

## How to Find and Fix Broken Links
Crawl your site with [CrawlBeast](/crawler/) to identify all internal and external broken links. Fix internal broken links by updating the href or implementing redirects. For external broken links, update the link to the new URL or remove it. Monitor your access logs with [LogBeast](/logbeast/) for 404 patterns.

---

## Related Terms

- [404 Error](/glossary/404-error/)
- [Internal Linking](/glossary/internal-linking/)
- [Redirect Chain](/glossary/redirect-chain/)
- [301 Redirect](/glossary/301-redirect/)
- [Link Equity](/glossary/link-equity/)


---

*Part of the [GetBeast SEO Glossary](/glossary/). Visit [GetBeast.io](https://getbeast.io) for professional SEO and log analysis tools.*