To repair a broken link, identify the resource and the question it supported. Correct a moved destination, choose an equivalent source for a removed resource, or remove a reference that no longer provides evidence. Check internal fragments and links from older pages too.

The useful answer depends on the purpose of the page, the people allowed to edit it and the cost of an error. A reliable workflow separates editorial decisions, technical delivery and final verification instead of hiding all three inside one automated operation.

The decision to make first

Repair an internal slug or redirect. For an external source, locate the new official URL; if the claim is no longer verifiable, rewrite or remove it.

A practical method

  1. Extract href values and leftover Markdown patterns.
  2. Resolve relative URLs from their source page.
  3. Check HTTP status with responsible rate limits.
  4. Classify 404, 410, loops, certificates and expired domains.
  5. Apply fixes and rerun the full audit.

Checks before publishing

  • The source of truth is explicit and can be restored.
  • URLs, dates and visible claims match the delivered page.
  • A human reviewer can reproduce the check without a hidden service.

The main pitfall

Replacing every failed URL with a domain home page preserves a link but destroys the editorial evidence.

Schedule monthly external checks and always audit internal links when a slug changes.

Verification workshop: evidence before a decision

A proposed exercise on a chosen scope, using fictional data where needed. Record what you observe; this scenario describes no test already performed on your website.

Action to try

Select a text link, a download and a section anchor. Test the complete destination, including the fragment and promised function.

Record to retain

Keep source page, exact link, observed state and proposed correction. Then check another page using the same destination.

What this evidence does not establish

HTTP 200 may return the wrong page. A successful link without its fragment does not establish that the requested section exists.

Explore the method

Prioritising link repairs

A check finds an internal error on a service page, an external document moved from an old article and a wrong navigation link. Navigation and anything blocking task completion come first; the external document requires finding a current source.

For each link, record source page, destination, status, importance and replacement. Fix the URL in the right data or template, then retry the journey. A redirect to the home page is not a meaningful repair when the reader sought a specific document.

Maintain a website after launch →