Smallshock

Have you ever been on a web site and clicked on a link, only to end up on a page that says “404 Not Found” or something similar? Annoying, isn’t it?

Given the ever-expanding nature of the web, broken links or linkrot is unavoidable. But that doesn’t mean you can’t fight it with a simple tool and a little maintenance.

For Windows users, I recommend Xenu’s Link Sleuth. For Apple Mac OS X users, Integrity is your best bet. Both programs are free to use, although donations are accepted for Integrity. While the creator of Xenu’s Link Sleuth says no donations are needed, you can support causes listed on his site (Note: Anti-Scientology information is prominent on the Xenu’s Link Sleuth creator’s web site and embedded in its software. If that offends you, you might want to find another tool.)

I recommend checking your web site once a month. When you find broken links, see if you find the good links by tracking them down on the web site your linking to or with a search engine. Then, make changes to your web pages so the links aren’t broken anymore. If you can’t find a suitable fix, it’s best to get rid of the link altogether.

Fixing broken links on your web site will lead to happier visitors and repeat visits. When visitors use your site with ease and see that you care enough to keep your content updated, they’ll come back.