Ahrefs Broken Link Checker: How To Find And Fix Dead Links Fast

The first time we ran the Ahrefs broken link checker on a client site, we watched 400-plus dead URLs pop up like warning lights on a cockpit panel. Traffic had been sliding for months, and buried inside those 404s was the explanation. Old product pages, deleted blog posts, mistyped URLs. All small things on their own, yet together they quietly drained authority and user trust.

In this guide, we walk through how we use Ahrefs as a broken link checker to spot those leaks fast, fix what matters, and even turn dead links into new backlinks and revenue. If you care about search traffic, leads, or reputation, this is low-hanging fruit you can’t ignore.

What Broken Links Are And Why They Hurt Your Website

Broken links are URLs that lead to an error page instead of real content. In Ahrefs reports you will usually see them as HTTP status codes like 404, 410, or 500. The Ahrefs broken link checker simply surfaces where those bad URLs live, both on your site and on other sites.

Here is why they matter:

• Worse user experience. People click, hit an error, and bounce. On a product or service page that can mean lost revenue.
• Wasted crawl budget. Googlebot and other crawlers waste time on dead ends instead of new or important URLs.
• Lost link equity. When strong backlinks point to 404 pages, the authority from those links goes nowhere.
• Trust and brand damage. A site full of broken internal links feels neglected and unreliable.

Google does not say that broken links trigger a penalty, but their own documentation stresses that people should reach useful pages. Too many errors send the opposite signal.

If we run the Ahrefs broken link checker and see dozens of dead links to high intent pages, we know we are leaving traffic and conversions on the table.

Key Ways To Use Ahrefs As A Broken Link Checker

Ahrefs is more than a basic 404 finder. We treat the Ahrefs broken link checker as a group of tools that work together.

Here are the main angles:

1. Site Audit for internal broken links. This crawler scans your whole site and lists all 4xx and 5xx URLs, with the exact pages that link to them.
2. Site Explorer for broken backlinks. You can see which external sites link to dead pages on your domain, including anchor text and authority.
3. Site Explorer on competitors. Run the broken link report on a competitor domain to discover link building prospects.
4. Batch Analysis. Check groups of URLs at once to confirm which are dead before outreach or redirects.

We combine these views into a simple flow: audit our own site, reclaim lost link equity, then use the Ahrefs broken link checker on competitors to find new backlink angles.

How To Find Broken Links On Your Own Website With Ahrefs

Here is a clean way to use the Ahrefs broken link checker on your own site.

1. Run a Site Audit crawl. Add your domain, set crawl limits, connect Google Search Console if possible, then start a full crawl.
2. Open the “Internal pages” or “Internal links” report. Filter by HTTP status code 404 or 410 so you only see dead pages.
3. List linking pages. For each broken URL, Ahrefs shows every internal page that links to it. Export this list so your dev or content team can work from a spreadsheet.
4. Segment by template. Spot patterns: same broken link across many blog posts, same menu item, same footer link, or a changed product slug.

We also like to connect this work with technical SEO clean up. If you run a full tech checkup, tie in an internal link pass and use the Ahrefs broken link checker as your source of truth instead of guessing where the problems live.

How To Find Broken External Links And Link Building Opportunities

The Ahrefs broken link checker is just as helpful outside your own domain. Broken external links can create outreach opportunities that feel natural and helpful.

Try this approach:

1. Run Site Explorer on a competitor. In the left menu, open “Broken backlinks”. You will see all the links pointing to 404 pages on their site.
2. Filter by DR or traffic. Sort by referring domain strength or estimated traffic so you only work the best prospects.
3. Map each broken page to content you have or can create. If their dead URL was a “Beginner’s guide to PPC”, we might write a stronger guide or reuse one we already have.
4. Reach out with a simple pitch. Point out the broken link, share your better replacement, and keep the email short.

This is classic broken link building, and the Ahrefs broken link checker makes it quick enough to fold into weekly outreach, not just one-off campaigns.

Prioritizing And Fixing Broken Links Efficiently

The first scan with the Ahrefs broken link checker can feel noisy. The trick is to sort before you fix.

We usually group broken links like this:

• High value pages. Money pages, lead magnets, and high traffic articles.
• High authority links. 404 URLs with strong backlinks.
• Template issues. Sitewide menu links, footer links, or CMS widgets.
• Low value noise. Old tags, tracking URLs, or test pages.

Then fix in this order:

1. Add 301 redirects. Point strong 404s to the best current match. Keep relevance tight.
2. Update internal links. Where you control the anchor, change it to the live page instead of relying only on a redirect.
3. Restore missing content when it still has demand. If the Ahrefs broken link checker shows a 404 with steady organic traffic and links, consider recreating that page.
4. Ignore true junk. Some broken URLs will never matter. Let them 404.

This way you protect authority and revenue fast, then clean up the rest as time allows.

Best Practices For Ongoing Broken Link Monitoring

One scan with the Ahrefs broken link checker helps, but links break over time as content moves, tools shut down, and people rename slugs.

We like a simple routine:

• Schedule Site Audit crawls. Weekly for fast moving sites, monthly for smaller ones.
• Watch “New broken backlinks” in Site Explorer. Set alerts so we see high quality links that suddenly start pointing to 404s.
• Tie checks to releases. After site redesigns, domain changes, or large content updates, run another pass.
• Document redirect rules. Keep a shared list of 301s so the team avoids circular chains and messy patterns.

If your site has a strong content engine, pair this with an internal linking playbook. For deeper detail on structuring links, many teams link this work to a broader internal linking strategy page or a technical SEO checklist so people see broken links as part of ongoing site health, not a one-time clean up.

Conclusion

Broken links are not glamorous, but the mix of user impact and lost link equity makes them one of the highest return fixes we touch. The Ahrefs broken link checker gives us a clear map: where users hit dead ends, where Googlebot wastes crawl time, and where backlinks flow into 404 holes instead of pages that convert.

If we turn that map into a habit, we get a quiet advantage over competitors who only react when someone complains. Run regular crawls, protect high value pages with smart redirects and internal link updates, and use your competitors’ broken pages as a steady supply of outreach ideas.

Next steps are simple: set up an Ahrefs Site Audit, run your first crawl, and pick the top ten broken URLs connected to money pages or strong links. Fix those this week. Your future traffic graph will thank you.

Sources

• “Crawl Errors”. Google Search Central. Google. Accessed 2024. https://developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/crawl-errors
• “Broken Links: Why They Matter & How To Fix Them”. Ahrefs Blog. Ahrefs. 2023. https://ahrefs.com/blog/broken-links
• “Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) Status Code Definitions”. Internet Engineering Task Force. IETF. RFC 7231. https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc7231

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Ahrefs broken link checker and how does it work?

The Ahrefs broken link checker is a set of tools within Ahrefs (primarily Site Audit and Site Explorer) that scan your website and other domains for URLs returning 4xx or 5xx errors. It surfaces broken internal links, broken backlinks, and competitor dead pages so you can fix issues and capture link opportunities.

Why are broken links bad for SEO and user experience?

Broken links send users to 404 or error pages, which increases bounce rates and hurts trust on key product or service pages. They also waste crawl budget and trap link equity on dead URLs. While not a direct penalty, lots of errors signal poor site maintenance, which can indirectly impact search performance.

How do I use Ahrefs Site Audit to find broken links on my site?

Run a Site Audit crawl in Ahrefs, then open the “Internal pages” or “Internal links” report and filter by status codes like 404 or 410. Export the list of broken URLs along with the pages linking to them. This lets your content or dev team systematically update links and set redirects.

What is the best way to fix broken links found with the Ahrefs broken link checker?

Prioritize by value: fix money pages, URLs with strong backlinks, and template issues first. Add 301 redirects from important 404s to the closest relevant page, update internal links to live URLs, restore high-demand content when justified, and safely ignore low-value junk like old tags or test URLs.

Can I use the Ahrefs broken link checker for link building?

Yes. Use Site Explorer’s “Broken backlinks” report on competitors to find external sites linking to their 404 pages. Create or map equivalent content on your site, then reach out to those site owners, pointing out the dead link and suggesting your resource as a relevant replacement. This is classic broken link building.

How often should I run the Ahrefs broken link checker on my website?

For active sites publishing frequently or changing structure, weekly Site Audit crawls are ideal. Smaller, more static sites can often run monthly. Always run an additional crawl after major events like redesigns, migrations, or large content updates to catch new 404s and redirect issues early.