When another website links to your business but the destination page no longer works, visitors hit an error instead of reaching useful information. These broken backlinks can also waste some of the authority and referral traffic that a good link might otherwise bring. To fix broken backlinks effectively, first find them, then decide whether the old page should be restored, redirected or left retired.
What counts as a broken backlink?
A backlink is a link from another website to yours. It is broken when the URL it points to returns an error, leads to an irrelevant page or fails to load as intended. This can happen after a site redesign, a change to page addresses, deleted content, a switch in domain settings or a simple typo in the linking site’s URL.
Not every broken link needs the same remedy. A link to a former service page may still be valuable if you offer that service today. A link to a discontinued event page may have little ongoing value. The right response depends on what the link refers to, whether the referring page still receives visitors and whether you have a genuinely relevant replacement.
Find and assess the problem links
Start by collecting backlinks from a search or SEO platform that reports linking pages and destination URLs. You can also review referral traffic in your website analytics and look for visits that end on error pages. A backlink audit helps bring these findings together and prioritise issues; this step-by-step backlink audit guide explains a broader process for reviewing link quality and risk.
Check each suspect URL in a browser and confirm its HTTP status. A 404 generally means the page cannot be found; a 410 indicates it has been deliberately removed. A temporary server error may resolve without any changes, so check again before acting. Also inspect the page that links to you. Confirm it is live, relevant and actually contains a link to your domain rather than relying only on an exported report.
Prioritise links using practical signals: whether the referring page is relevant to your business, whether it attracts real visitors, and how closely the old destination matches a current page. A link from a local organisation’s useful resource page may deserve attention before one from an unrelated, inactive directory. Keep a record of the source URL, broken destination, status code and chosen next step.
Choose the right fix
- Restore the original page. If the content is still accurate and useful, republishing it at its former URL is often the clearest solution. Keep the original address where possible, and check that the restored page works on mobile as well as desktop.
- Redirect to a close match. If the old page has moved or been replaced, set up a permanent redirect to the most relevant live page. A former page about a particular service should not be redirected to a generic homepage simply because it is convenient. The destination should satisfy the likely reason someone clicked.
- Ask the linking site to update its URL. Contact the editor or site owner with a concise, courteous note. Include the page where the link appears, the outdated address and the correct replacement. This is especially useful if a redirect is not possible or the linking page needs a more accurate destination.
- Retire the link without a replacement. If the old content is obsolete and no suitable page exists, do not force a redirect to an unrelated page. You can leave the URL retired, while making sure it does not create avoidable errors within your own website’s navigation.
When outside help makes sense
A small site may have only a handful of broken links, while a larger business or a site that has changed platforms could have hundreds. If you bring in help, be clear about the work: for example, ask for a verified list of broken backlinks, recommended destinations and a record of redirects or outreach. Agree who will make changes and who will check them before they go live.
That arrangement can affect whether you hire a freelancer, contractor or consultant. Consider control, independence and integration: will the person deliver a defined audit, work as part of your regular team, or advise on a broader SEO plan? These practical distinctions are explored in Osdire’s guide to freelancers versus contractors. Choose the working relationship that fits the scope, and make sure ownership of reports, access and any created materials is clear.
Check the repair and prevent repeats
After changing a URL or adding a redirect, test the old address in a fresh browser session. Confirm it reaches the intended page, loads securely and does not pass through a chain of several redirects. Check that important internal links point directly to the current destination rather than relying on an old address to forward visitors.
For outreach, keep the message helpful and brief. A simple notification is more likely to be acted on than a demand for a link change. If the site owner does not respond, the redirect may still recover visitors who click the existing link. Avoid paying for unrelated links or making promises about ranking gains; repairing a broken backlink is about restoring a useful path, not guaranteeing a search position.
Finally, review key backlinks after website migrations, redesigns and major content updates. Maintain a list of important page URLs and use redirects whenever a valuable address changes. A regular check makes problems easier to catch, protects useful referral routes and gives visitors a better chance of finding the information they came for.