Checking External Links: A Complete Guide for Webmasters

Quick answer: Checking external links means verifying that the URLs you link to from your website are still live, safe, and returning the correct content. Broken or malicious external links harm user experience, SEO rankings, and site credibility. Use a free web link checker to audit all outbound links in minutes.

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Why checking external links matters

Every external link on your website is a promise to your visitors. When that promise breaks — because the destination returns a 404, redirects to spam, or serves malware — the damage extends beyond one bad click:

• SEO impact: Search engines interpret excessive broken or low-quality outbound links as a sign of poor editorial standards, which can suppress rankings.
• User experience: Visitors who click broken external links lose trust in your content and are less likely to return.
• Security risk: External links that redirect to phishing pages put your users at real risk.
• Crawl budget: Crawlers that repeatedly encounter errors on outbound links waste crawl budget that could index your content instead.

What to check when auditing external links

A thorough external link audit covers:

1. HTTP status codes

Every external URL should return a 200 OK response. Watch for:

• 301/302 Redirects — the link has moved; verify the destination is still appropriate
• 404 Not Found — the page no longer exists; remove or replace the link
• 403 Forbidden / 500 Server Error — temporary issues that may require retesting
• Timeout — the server is unreachable; may indicate the domain is dead

2. Redirect chains

A link redirection checker reveals how many hops a URL takes before reaching its final destination. Excessive redirect chains slow page load times and can dilute link equity. Aim for a maximum of one or two redirects.

3. Domain safety and reputation

Use a phishing link check to verify that external domains haven't been flagged for malware, phishing, or spam. Sites you linked to six months ago may have changed ownership and now serve harmful content.

4. Dofollow vs. nofollow status

For SEO, verify that your dofollow external links point to trustworthy, relevant domains. Use the browser inspector or a dofollow link checker tool to confirm link attributes are set correctly.

5. Content relevance

Even a live, safe link becomes harmful to SEO if the destination page no longer matches the anchor text context of your article. Review that the linked content still supports your editorial point.

How to check external links — step by step

Using Link Checker (recommended)

Link Checker is a free web link checker that requires no installation:

1. Collect your external URLs — export them from your CMS, Google Search Console, or a site crawler.
2. Paste each URL into the checker at mylinkchecker.com.
3. Review the output — HTTP status, redirect chain, domain age, threat flags.
4. Take action — update, remove, or replace links based on the results.

Using browser developer tools

For quick spot-checks during content editing:

1. Right-click the external link → Inspect
2. In the Network tab, click the link to see its HTTP response code
3. Check the rel attribute in the Elements panel for dofollow/nofollow status

Using Google Search Console

GSC's Coverage report and the Links report can surface external links that return errors. However, GSC is primarily for inbound links, so combine it with a dedicated link checking tool for outbound audits.

Best practices for managing external links

• Audit quarterly — External sites change constantly; schedule regular checking of external links.
• Use descriptive anchor text — Helps both users and crawlers understand the destination before clicking.
• Open external links in a new tab — Add target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" to prevent tabnapping.
• Limit dofollow links to authoritative sources — Pass PageRank only to sites you trust and would publicly endorse.
• Remove or replace broken links within 48 hours — A prompt fix minimizes SEO and UX damage.

Checking external links on specific platforms

WordPress

WordPress users can use the Broken Link Checker plugin (though it can slow performance on large sites). For a lighter alternative, export your post URLs and check them manually with a web link checker like Link Checker.

Drupal

Drupal's built-in Link Checker module scans content for broken external links automatically. You can also export node URLs and run them through an external tool for threat analysis beyond simple HTTP checks.

Shopify

Shopify doesn't have a native broken link checker. Use a third-party tool or the Link Checker web app to audit external links in product descriptions, blog posts, and page content.

FAQ: Checking external links

How often should I audit external links?

At minimum, audit all external links quarterly. For large news or content sites that link frequently to external sources, monthly auditing is better practice.

Does checking external links affect page speed?

Auditing itself doesn't affect page speed, but having many slow or broken outbound links can marginally impact Core Web Vitals if browsers wait for DNS resolution. Remove links to consistently slow or unreachable domains.

Can external links hurt my SEO?

Yes. Dofollow links to low-quality, spammy, or penalized domains can pass negative signals. Broken external links signal poor maintenance. Both should be fixed promptly.

How many external links per page is too many?

There is no hard limit, but as a guideline, keep external links relevant and purposeful. A resource-heavy article might have 20+ links; a landing page should have fewer. Quality and relevance matter more than count.

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Audit your external links for free with Link Checker — instant results, no login required.