broken link View
A broken link or dead link is a link on a web page that no longer works because the website is encountering one or more of the reasons below.
- An improper URL entered for the link by the website owner.
- The destination website removed the linked web page (causing what is known as a 404 error)
- The destination website permanently moved or no longer exists
- The user has software or is behind a firewall that blocks access to the destination website.
- The website owner linked to a site that is behind a firewall that does not allow outside access (such as an Intranet site or a restricted access area on a website).
Broken links can be problematic for users of a website as they are unable to access the desired resource and may decide to make use of another site to find the necessary information or service. A site that hasn’t been updated or checked for a long time may suffer from link rot, which is a term used to describe a site with dozens of broken links.