How Do You Find and Fix Broken Links and Set Up Redirects?

By Bill Stilwell · Last reviewed October 16, 2026

The short answer

When a page moves or gets replaced, send visitors from the old address to the new one with a permanent (301) redirect. When a page is gone for good with no replacement, let it return a “not found” (404) error with a helpful error page. Scan your site for broken links a few times a year and after any redesign, and fix them by updating the link or adding a redirect.

What this means

A broken link is a link that leads to a page that no longer exists. The visitor sees an error.

A redirect sends anyone who visits an old address to a new one automatically. Google sorts redirects into two kinds:

Permanent (status codes 301 and 308): the page moved for good. Google treats the new address as the main one and shows it in search.
Temporary (302 and 307): the move is short-term. Google keeps showing the old address.

A status code is a number the server sends with every page. 200 means OK. 404 means not found. 301 means moved permanently.

Say Copper Creek Electric renamed its “services/panel-upgrades” page to “services/electrical-panel-replacement.” Google, its Google Business Profile (GBP), and an old directory listing all still point to the old address. Without a redirect, every one of those clicks hits an error. With a 301, they all land on the new page.

Why it matters

Broken links lose customers. A visitor who hits an error page often just leaves.
Old addresses live in many places. Your GBP, directory listings, ads, social posts, and other websites may link to old pages (see 14.4.6 Citation Records).
A redesign can break everything at once. If the new site uses new page addresses and no one sets up redirects, old search results and links all break.
Fake “not found” pages confuse Google. Google calls a page that says “not found” but returns a success code a soft 404. Google excludes those from search and flags them in Search Console.

Who this applies to

Every business with a website. It matters most when you redesign, switch website builders, rename pages, combine services, or change your domain (see 13.1.1 Domain Selection).

How to do it

Finding broken links

Run a broken link check on your site. Many website builders and plugins have one. Free and paid site crawler tools also work.
In Google Search Console, open the Page indexing report and look for “Not found (404).” These are addresses Google tried that didn’t work.
Fix links inside your own site by pointing them straight to the right page. Don’t rely on a redirect for your own links.
Check your GBP website link, appointment link, and main directory listings after any page change.

Setting up redirects

Before you rename, move, or delete a page, write down its old address and where it should go. For a redesign, list every old page and match it to its new page. Google suggests gathering old addresses from your sitemap, analytics, and Search Console.
Use a server-side 301 redirect for permanent moves. Google says server-side redirects are the most reliable. Most builders have a “Redirects” setting. Avoid redirects that only work through JavaScript, because Google may not see them.
Send each old address straight to its final page. Google says it can follow a chain of redirects, but it recommends going directly to the final address, and keeping any chain short.
Redirect to a page that really matches. Sending every old page to the home page doesn’t help the visitor.
If a page is gone with no replacement, let it return a 404 or 410 code. Make your error page helpful, with your menu, a link to the home page, and your phone number.
Keep redirects in place for a long time. For site moves, Google says to keep them as long as possible, generally at least 1 year.
Test each redirect by typing the old address into a browser. It should land on the right new page.

What proof to keep

A redirect list with each old address, new address, type (301 or 302), and date added
Dated broken link scan results and what you fixed
Screenshots of the Search Console 404 list before and after

Keep these in your website records folder.

Common mistakes

Redesigning without a redirect plan. It’s an easy way to lose search traffic overnight. Make the old-to-new list before launch (see 13.8 Website Launch Checklist).
Using a 302 for a permanent move. Google keeps the old address in search. Use 301 for permanent changes.
Sending everything to the home page. Visitors looking for a specific service land somewhere generic.
Redirect chains. Old page goes to newer page goes to newest page. Point straight to the final one.
Error pages that return a 200 code. That creates soft 404s. Make sure “not found” pages actually send a 404 code.
Deleting redirects during a cleanup. Old links in directories and emails may still use them.

When to get help from a pro

Your web developer or a search engine optimization (SEO) specialist: before any redesign, domain change, or builder switch. Questions to ask:

Do we have a full list of old page addresses matched to new ones?
Are the redirects server-side 301s, and have we tested every one?

Bill’s note

[Bill: add a short story or lesson here. For example, a redesign you were brought in to fix after redirects were skipped, or the redirect checklist you use for SiteSmarty launches.]

If you’d rather have this done for you, SiteSmarty maps and tests redirects as part of every website rebuild.

How I did this for SiteSmarty

[Date I did this:]
[What I actually did, step by step: how I checked SiteSmarty for broken links and set up redirects]
[What it cost and how long it took:]
[What surprised me or what I’d do differently:]
[Screenshot or photo to add, with private info blurred: SiteSmarty’s redirect list and a broken link scan result]
[Result so far:]

Questions people ask

What is a 301 redirect? A permanent redirect. It sends visitors and search engines from an old address to a new one, and Google shows the new one in search.

When should I use a 404 instead of a redirect? When the page is gone for good and there’s no matching page to send people to.

Do 404 errors hurt my site? A 404 for a page that’s really gone is normal. The problem is broken links to pages that should work.

How long should I keep redirects? For a site move, Google says as long as possible, generally at least 1 year.

What is a soft 404? A page that says “not found” but tells the browser everything is OK. Google excludes these from search.

Audit check

19.5.6 Broken links

Question: Is the site free of broken internal links, and do key outside links like the GBP point to working pages?
Pass looks like: A dated scan with no broken internal links, and no unexpected 404s in Search Console.
Fail looks like: Links to deleted pages, a GBP link that errors, or no scan in the past year.
Evidence to collect: Broken link scan results and the Search Console 404 list.

19.5.7 Redirects

Question: Does every moved or renamed page send visitors straight to a matching page with a permanent redirect?
Pass looks like: A redirect list with server-side 301s, each pointing directly to a matching page, tested and dated.
Fail looks like: No redirects after a redesign, 302s for permanent moves, chains, everything sent to the home page, or soft 404s.
Evidence to collect: The redirect list and test notes.

Where this fits

Do this first: 19.4.6 Internal Links, 19.5.2 Index Control

Do this next: 19.5.8 XML Sitemaps

Sources

Google Search Central, "Redirects and Google Search" (checked October 16, 2026)
Google Search Central, "Site moves with URL changes" (checked October 16, 2026)
Google Search Central, "Troubleshoot Google Search crawling errors" (checked October 16, 2026)

This page explains general rules and Bill's own experience. It is not legal, tax, or insurance advice. Talk to a qualified professional about your situation.