Broken Link
A hyperlink whose target does not load, usually a 404. Google says 404s generally do not affect search performance; fix the ones you control.
Reviewed by Alexander Yarovenko · Updated: 2026-10-08
A broken link is a hyperlink whose target cannot be loaded, most often because the page returns a 404 Not Found status. It can sit on your site, on another site pointing to you, or in your outgoing links. Google says 404 errors generally do not affect a site’s search performance, so the question is never “how many do I have” but “which ones point at something that should exist”.
What it is and where the boundary lies
A link is broken when following it ends in an error instead of the intended page. The usual cause is a URL that returns 404, but a deleted domain or a server error has the same effect for the visitor. Google’s Search Console help says that in general 404 errors will not impact your site’s search performance and can be ignored when the URLs should not exist. A 404 is the correct answer for a page that was removed on purpose. The problem is the link that still points to it.
How it differs from similar terms
| Term | What it describes | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Broken link | a link whose target does not load | fix the link or the target |
| 404 error | the status the missing page returns | keep it if the page is gone for good |
| Soft 404 | an error page that returns a success status | return a real 404 instead |
| Link reclamation | recovering links from other sites to dead URLs | redirect the dead URL to its replacement |
Why it matters
For visitors, a broken link is a dead end. For Google, Search Console help says most 404 errors are not worth fixing because they do not harm indexing or ranking, while a URL you submitted in a sitemap is worth fixing, and moved content needs a redirect. Google also notes that a previously indexed URL that returns a 4xx code is removed from the index. So the broken links that matter are the ones you control: internal links, sitemap entries and links from other sites to pages you moved.
Which broken links to fix
- Sitemap entries that return 404. Google calls a submitted URL with an error worth fixing; update the sitemap.
- Internal links to a page that moved. Point the link at the new address and add a 301 redirect for the old one.
- Common misspellings. If many people reach a wrong spelling, Google suggests mapping it to the right page with a redirect.
- Outgoing links to dead pages. Replace or remove them; this is about visitors, not a ranking rule.
- URLs that never existed. Google says you probably do not need to worry about them.
Practical example
| Situation | Response |
|---|---|
| Page deleted, no replacement | return 404 or 410; Google treats them the same |
| Page moved to a new URL | add a redirect and update internal links |
| Sitemap lists a URL that returns 404 | remove it from the sitemap or restore the page |
| Visitors often type a misspelled URL | redirect the misspelling to the right page |
| Everything removed is redirected to the homepage | avoid it: Google describes this as a soft 404 |
A 404 for a page that should be gone is correct behaviour, not an error to hide.
Common mistakes
- Redirecting every dead URL to the homepage: Google calls this a soft 404 and says it can confuse users and search engines.
- Blocking 404 URLs in robots.txt: Google says invalid URLs should not be blocked, so it can see the proper 404.
- Treating every 404 as an emergency: most are not worth fixing.
- Leaving the sitemap stale: a sitemap entry that errors is worth fixing.
- Using a removal request to clear the report: it does not remove the error from the Search Console report.
How to validate the result
Check the fixed URL with the URL Inspection tool and confirm that moved pages answer with a redirect and deleted ones with a real 404. Google says a 404 should stop showing in the report after about a month, so judge the report after that time, not the next day. The redirect checker shows each hop for a list of URLs.
More questions
Do broken links hurt rankings?
Google’s Search Console help says 404 errors generally do not impact search performance. The links worth fixing are the ones that lead visitors or Google to pages that should work.
Should I use 404 or 410?
Either. Google currently treats 410 the same as 404.
Do I need to redirect every deleted page?
No. If there is no replacement or equivalent, a 404 is the right answer.
Next practical step
Export the URLs from your sitemap and check each status. Fix the ones that return 404 first, then update internal links that still point to moved pages.
Related concepts
- 404 error — the status a missing page returns.
- 301 redirect — the permanent redirect for moved pages.
- Internal link — the links you fully control.
- Backlink — a link from another site, which can point at a dead URL.
- Link reclamation — recovering links to dead URLs.