Link Rot

What is Link Rot?

Link rot is a natural phenomenon where hyperlinks on the internet gradually cease to point to their original target. This happens because web resources can be relocated or become unavailable while references to them (links) continue to exist.

The term “broken link” is closely associated with link rot and implies a link that points to a resource that does not exist or is unavailable.

The main reasons for link rot are:

• Website structure changes and migrations without proper redirects.
• Deletion of content.
• Website shutdowns and domain expiration.

How to Find Broken Links?

You can check both inbound and outbound broken links for any website with the free Broken Link Checker from Ahrefs.