Is Ahrefs Broken Link Checker Free? How to Use It

Think about going to a site to buy a product or read a blog, and suddenly you're served a dreaded 404 error page. In that moment, you may lose a customer for life. Studies show that 88% of internet users won’t return to a site after a bad experience. Now, think about the impact of a single bad experience on dozens or hundreds of your web pages. Search engines see them, users get upset, and your SEO suffers, even if you don’t know it yet. So, having a broken link checker online is not just for technical use, it is a lifeline for your site. And among the many broken link checkers, the Ahrefs broken link checker is the best one. Not only does it have a great free service, but it is fast and powerful enough to return results for all broken inbound and outbound links, and will give you the information you need to fix them fast!

Whether you have a local business website in Coimbatore, a blog in Delhi, or one of the hottest startups in Bangalore, keeping our link structure clean is essential for your SEO health.

In this complete guide, we’ll explore:

1. What broken links are and why they matter.
2. How the Ahrefs broken link checker free tool works.
3. Practical step-by-step usage.
4. Alternatives like Semrush broken link checker and Dr Link Checker.
5. Real-world scenarios where broken link fixing improved results.
6. FAQs that cover common concerns.

By the end, you’ll know exactly how to keep your site healthy, boost SEO, and recover lost traffic.

What is a Broken Link and Why Does It Matter?

A broken link (also called a dead link) is simply a hyperlink that doesn’t work anymore. Instead of leading to the intended page, it directs users to a 404 “Page Not Found” error, a 410 Gone message, or some kind of server error.

Types of Broken Links:

 1. Internal Broken Links

These exist within your website. Example: A product page on your eCommerce store is deleted, but the navigation menu still links to it. Impact: Users can’t find products, leading to abandoned carts.

 2. External Broken Links

These point to other websites that have changed or removed their content. Example: You link to a helpful resource on another site, but that page has since been taken down. Impact: Your content looks outdated and untrustworthy.

Why They Matter So Much

1. SEO Damage: Search engines treat broken links as a sign of poor site maintenance. They also waste crawl budget scanning dead ends instead of indexing your important pages.
2. User Experience (UX): If visitors can’t find the information they expected, they bounce. High bounce rates = lower engagement = weaker SEO.
3. Link Equity Loss: If other websites are linking to your broken pages, all that valuable “link juice” is lost.

So, whether you’re using a 404 checker, a page link checker, or a website link checker, staying proactive is non-negotiable.

Why Use a Broken Link Checker Tool?

If you’re thinking of manually clicking through every link on your site to make sure it works, good luck. Even a small blog with 200 posts can have thousands of links. That’s where a link checker tool saves you time, money, and sanity.

Key Benefits of a Link Checker Tool:

1. Scans Quickly and Accurately - Tools like Ahrefs can crawl thousands of URLs in minutes. They find both inbound and outbound broken links without manual effort.

2. Comprehensive Reporting - Get lists of broken links with exact page locations. Export to CSV/Excel for your dev or SEO team.

3. Supports SEO Strategies - When paired with tools like Ahrefs Traffic Checker, you can even track traffic improvements after fixes.

4. Competitor Edge - Tools like Ahrefs and Semrush also allow competitor audits. If you find broken outbound links on their site, you can pitch your content as a replacement, a smart link-building hack.

While there are alternatives like Dead Link Checker, Dr Link Checker, or even browser extensions like Broken Link Checker Chrome, none provide the depth and actionable insights of the Ahrefs broken link checker free tool.

Ahrefs Broken Link Checker: An Overview

The Ahrefs Broken Link Checker is more than just a basic dead link finder. It’s a feature-rich SEO tool that integrates broken link analysis with traffic, backlinks, and site authority metrics.

Features That Make Ahrefs Stand Out:

1. Broken Outbound Link Detection: Spot external links on your site that lead to dead pages.
2. Broken Backlink Check: Find sites that are linking to your broken pages and recover that lost authority.
3. Internal Link Checker: Run a full crawl of your website to discover internal dead ends.
4. Integration with Ahrefs Traffic Checker: Connect broken link data with organic traffic trends.
5. Data Export: Get professional, shareable reports for your team or clients.

Unlike other free broken link checker tools, Ahrefs pairs link analysis with powerful SEO insights, making it suitable for both beginners and advanced users.

How to Use Free Ahrefs Broken Link Checker

Step 1: Enter Your Website URL

Go to the Ahrefs Broken Link Checker. Paste your domain into the search bar.

Step 2: Outgoing Links → Broken Link Reports URL

This highlights external links on your site that no longer work. For example, a blog linking to a tool that has since shut down.

Step 3: Site Explorer → Broken Backlinks

Check inbound links from other websites. If someone links to a blog post you deleted, you’re losing traffic and authority.

Step 4: Run a Full Site Audit

This uncovers internal broken links or pages within your site pointing to missing URLs.

Step 5: Export the Data

Download the broken link list in CSV or Excel format. Share it with your content manager, SEO team, or developer for fixing.

Step 6: Fix the Issues

Options include:

1. Replace: Update the broken link with a relevant, working URL.
2. Remove: Delete the dead link entirely.
3. Redirect (301): If it’s an important page, set up a redirect to a working equivalent.

This ensures both your check inbound links strategy and internal linking check are executed smoothly.

Free vs Paid Features of Ahrefs Broken Link Checker

If you’re serious about SEO, the free version is a starting point. But to maintain and grow rankings, the paid plan is worth every rupee.

Alternatives to Ahrefs Broken Link Checker

While Ahrefs is excellent, it’s good to know about the other broken links checkers too.

1. Semrush Broken Link Checker: Great for competitive analysis, content audits, and backlink opportunities.
2. Dead Link Checker: Simple, free, and fast, but lacks depth.
3. Dr Link Checker: Designed for large websites with complex link structures.
4. Broken Link Checker Chrome Extension: Quick page-level check, but not suitable for large sites.

The Ahrefs broken link checker free tool still wins when it comes to balancing depth, usability, and traffic insights.

How Fixing Broken Links Improves SEO and Traffic

Pair this with tools like the Ahrefs Traffic Checker and Website Authority Checker to measure results and prove ROI.

Conclusion:

While broken links might seem insignificant, they are slowly harming your SEO, traffic and conversions. You can easily check and fix breakdowns, outbound, inbound or internal links with the Ahrefs Broken Link Checker.

At Rasonix, we go beyond just fixing links. Our team specializes in SEO, website development, and digital growth strategies. We use advanced tools like Ahrefs to keep your website clean, optimized, and ranking at the top. Want to make sure your site is 100% healthy? Get a Free SEO Audit with Rasonix Today, and let’s turn your website into a traffic and conversion powerhouse.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the difference between broken links and broken backlinks?

Broken links are on your site (internal or outbound). Broken backlinks are external websites linking to your broken pages.

2. Is Ahrefs Broken Link Checker free?

Yes, Ahrefs offers a free version with limited scans. The paid plans provide deeper insights and unlimited checks.

3. How frequently should I look for broken links?

Small sites: one time per month. Large eCommerce or content-heavy sites: once a week inside the site.

4. Are Chrome extensions an option to check for broken links?

You can, but just know they only check one page at a time. Ahrefs can check an entire domain.

5. How do the Ahrefs broken link checker and Semrush broken link checker differ?

Both are great, however Ahrefs goes a little deeper into the backlink & traffic performance, while Semrush is arguably a better competitor analysis tool.

6. Do broken links influence local SEO?

Absolutely. Local businesses can lose clients if connections to service pages, menus, or Google Maps are broken.

7. What is the most efficient approach to finding broken links on the website?

Use Ahrefs Broken Link Checker instead. Simply input your URL, do the scan, and it will provide the entire list in minutes.