Broken links, also known as dead links, are hyperlinks on a webpage that no longer lead to the intended destination.
Some common causes of broken links include:
- The linked webpage or resource has been moved, renamed, or deleted
- The URL has been typed incorrectly or contains errors
- The website hosting the linked content is temporarily or permanently unavailable
- Changes in the website's structure or CMS have affected the link paths
- The linked external website has changed its domain name or gone offline
- The link points to a non-existent internal page or resource
- Failure to update links after a website migration or redesign
- Linking to third-party resources that have been removed or changed
- Using outdated or unsupported link formats or protocols
- Accidentally using relative instead of absolute URLs or vice versa.
Site managers can use software tools called broken link checkers to find and fix these links.
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