Broken Pages & Redirects: Find and Fix Every Error

The broken pages report

This report lists every URL returning a 4xx or 5xx status code, along with the source pages that link to it. Sorting by number of inbound internal links highlights which broken pages are doing the most damage to crawl efficiency and user experience.

• Lists 4xx and 5xx URLs with linking sources
• Sort by inbound link count to prioritise

Redirect chains and loops

A separate tab visualises redirect chains, showing each hop from the original URL to its final destination. Chains longer than two hops are flagged, since they slow crawling and dilute link equity, and true redirect loops are highlighted in red for immediate attention.

• Chains over two hops are flagged
• Loops are highlighted for urgent fixing

Bulk export for developer handoff

Selecting multiple rows and clicking "Export Selected" produces a CSV mapping source URL, broken destination, and suggested replacement, formatted so it can be dropped straight into a server redirect rules file.

Verifying fixes

After redirects go live, use the partial recrawl option covered in the recrawl guide to confirm affected URLs now resolve correctly, which automatically clears them from this report on the next full crawl.

Why this matters

Neglecting broken pages and inefficient redirects directly impacts user experience and search engine crawl budget. A high volume of 404s signals a poorly maintained site, leading to frustrated visitors who abandon your site, increasing bounce rates and reducing engagement metrics. For search engines, excessive broken links mean wasted crawl resources on non-existent pages, potentially delaying the discovery and indexing of your valuable new content, ultimately suppressing organic visibility and rankings for critical keywords.

Consider a scenario where an important product category page, previously ranking highly, is moved without a proper 301 redirect, resulting in a 404 error. Over time, search engines will de-index the old URL, and the new URL will struggle to inherit its link equity and historical ranking signals. This oversight translates into lost organic traffic, reduced sales, and a significant drop in revenue, requiring a much greater effort to recover than the initial fix would have entailed. Proactive management via RankAudit is paramount.

Prioritising 404 Fixes Based on Impact

Not all 404s are created equal, and a strategic approach to their remediation is crucial. RankAudit allows you to identify broken pages, but the real task is prioritising which ones to fix first. Focus on 404s that receive internal links, external backlinks, or show evidence of historical traffic from analytics data. These represent immediate losses of link equity and user access, demanding urgent attention to preserve ranking signals and user journeys.

Secondary consideration should be given to pages that are referenced in sitemaps or those that were recently popular but are now returning a 404. While less critical than high-authority broken pages, these still contribute to a poor user experience and can signal crawl issues to search engines. By segmenting your 404s based on their potential impact, you ensure that your remediation efforts yield the maximum SEO benefit with minimal wasted resources.

Evaluate internal link count pointing to the 404.

Check Google Search Console for indexed 404s or incoming backlinks.

Cross-reference with analytics data for historical traffic to the 404 URL.

Prioritise fixing 404s affecting high-value content or conversion paths.

Do it now

Open RankAudit, navigate to your most recent crawl report, and access the 'Broken Pages' section. Identify the top 10 URLs returning a 4xx error code that also have internal links pointing to them. These represent immediate opportunities to recover lost link equity and improve user experience, so investigate their original purpose and determine the most appropriate redirect target or content restoration strategy.

• Open RankAudit and load your latest site crawl.
• Go to the 'Broken Pages' filter in the left-hand navigation.
• Sort the report by 'Internal Inlinks' in descending order.
• Review the top 10 broken pages and note their URLs and linking sources.

Key takeaways

• ✓Prioritise broken pages by inbound internal link count
• ✓Fix redirect chains longer than two hops to preserve link equity
• ✓Export a mapping file formatted for direct developer use
• ✓Recrawl affected paths to confirm fixes before closing tickets

Do it now

Dig into performance, links, duplication and content quality issues in detail. Crawl a site and triage the issue list.