The short answer
To find broken links, check Search Console → Pages → “Not found (404)”, then crawl the site with a free tool such as Screaming Frog (up to 500 URLs) or Ahrefs Webmaster Tools. For each broken link, update it to the correct URL, add a 301 redirect if the old page had traffic or backlinks, or remove the link. Fix redirect chains by pointing links straight to the final page.
Before you start
By the end of this SOP
No broken internal links, important old URLs redirected, and a quarterly check scheduled.
- Time
- 30–60 minutes
- You’ll need
- Search Console access (SOP 206) and a free crawler (Screaming Frog SEO Spider or Ahrefs Webmaster Tools).
- Who does this
- The person managing the website or SEO.
About this SOP: why it matters, where and when
Why it matters: Every broken link is a dead end for a potential customer, and lost backlinks are lost authority.
Where: Google Search Console, a crawler, and WordPress.
When: After any redesign or URL change, and every quarter.
Stage 1
Find what is broken
- 1
Search Console → Indexing → Pages → “Not found (404)”. Export the list. These are URLs Google tried and failed to load.
- 2
Crawl the site: in Screaming Frog, enter the domain and Start. Then filter Response Codes → Client Error (4xx). Open the Inlinks tab to see which pages link to each broken URL.
- 3
In the crawler, also filter Redirection (3xx) to find links that go through redirects or chains.
- 4
Optional: check external backlinks to broken pages in Ahrefs Webmaster Tools (free for verified sites) → Best by links → filter 404.
Watch out
Avoid always-on “broken link checker” plugins on shared hosting. They can slow the whole site; run a crawl instead.
Stage 2
Decide the fix for each
- 1
Update: the link has a typo or points to an old URL. Edit the link to the correct page.
- 2
Redirect: the old URL had traffic, backlinks or was shared widely. Add a 301 to the best matching page (SOP 316).
- 3
Remove: the linked page is gone and there is no replacement. Delete the link or link to something useful instead.
- 4
Leave: random 404s for URLs that never existed (spam or typos from other sites) don’t need fixing.
Stage 3
Fix, re-crawl and prevent
- 1
Make the fixes, starting with links in menus, footers and high-traffic pages.
- 2
Re-crawl and confirm 0 internal 4xx links. Point any redirected links straight to the final URL.
- 3
Make sure your 404 page is helpful: a search box, top services and a contact button.
- 4
Set a quarterly reminder, and add “check links” to every redesign checklist.
Practice & check
Now do it for real
Reading is not doing. Open your own account and complete this task before you move on.
Practice task (5 min)
Crawl a small website with the free Screaming Frog version, list every broken internal link with the page it sits on, and the fix for each.
Prove it
Two questions. Get both right and this SOP is done.
Common questions
Do broken links hurt SEO?
A few 404s are normal. Many broken internal links waste crawl time, frustrate visitors and lose the value of backlinks, so fix them regularly.
Is Screaming Frog free?
The free version crawls up to 500 URLs, which covers most small business sites. The paid licence removes the limit.
Should every 404 be redirected?
No. Redirect URLs that had traffic or backlinks. Let truly dead or junk URLs return 404.
Done. That’s a real skill, not a certificate.
Next: SOP 319 — Refresh Old Content Using Google Search Console →
Want to do this on real client budgets, with a mentor checking your work? That’s Level 2 at Unlearn. See the Digital Marketing track