Broken Links Reports help identify links that may no longer work as expected.
When a visitor clicks a broken link, they may encounter an error message, missing page or inaccessible resource. These issues can create frustration, reduce confidence in your website and make it more difficult for users to find the information they need.
DubBot regularly tests links found on your website and reports links that return unexpected responses, allowing website managers to identify and resolve issues before they affect large numbers of visitors.
Reviewing Broken Link Reports
Broken Links Reports can be reviewed in two ways:
By Page
View all broken links identified on a specific page.
This approach is useful when reviewing and correcting content one page at a time.
By Issue
View all instances of a specific broken link across your website.
This approach can be helpful when the same broken link appears on multiple pages.
Understanding Status Codes
DubBot identifies broken links based on the response returned by the destination website.
Some common responses include:
- 404 Not Found — The destination page cannot be found.
- 401 Unauthorized — The resource requires authentication.
- 403 Forbidden — Access to the resource is restricted.
While many 404 errors indicate a genuine problem that should be corrected, 401 and 403 errors sometimes occur when DubBot cannot access a restricted resource, even though the intended audience can.
Because of this, not every reported broken link requires the same response.
When Should a Link Be Ignored?
Some users may see options such as Ignore on this Page or Ignore on this Site. Available actions may vary based on your DubBot role and permissions.
Before ignoring a link:
- Verify that the link is not causing problems for users.
- Confirm that the destination resource is working as intended.
- Consider whether the issue may affect additional pages across your website.
Do not ignore a broken link simply because you are unsure how to fix it.
If you are uncertain whether a reported issue is affecting visitors, contact the UCM Web Team for assistance.
Common Broken Link Issues
Examples of issues frequently identified in DubBot include:
- Typographical errors in URLs
- Links to deleted or moved content
- Outdated external links
- Links to restricted resources
- Site wide links that affect multiple pages
DubBot highlights affected links directly within page reports and provides information about the response code that triggered the warning.
Learn more about adding links in Drupal.
DubBot Documentation
Video Tutorial
Review the DubBot Broken Links Reports video tutorial in Zoom.
This transcript has been lightly edited for readability and accuracy. It contains the spoken content from the Broken Links Reports video and is provided as an alternative format for users who prefer reading the material instead of watching the recording.
DubBot Broken Links Reports Video Transcript
Welcome back to the DubBot Training Series. In this video, we'll focus on Broken Links Reports.
Broken links may seem like a small issue, but they can have a significant impact on user experience. When users click a link expecting information and encounter an error page instead, it can create frustration and reduce confidence in your website.
Fortunately, DubBot makes it easy to identify broken links, understand why they were flagged and verify that issues have been resolved.
Similar to the Accessibility Reports, there are multiple ways to work through broken link issues. I generally like to start with pages because it allows me to see the affected content in context.
Here we can see a list of pages where DubBot identified broken links. The pages are sorted so we can quickly identify which content needs attention.
Let's open the Alert page report.
This page contains a good example of a genuine broken link. DubBot highlights the exact link that triggered the issue and shows it directly on the page preview. In this case, the link to the Tulane Emergency page includes an extra period at the end of the URL.
That small typo causes the destination page to be unavailable.
Notice that DubBot tells us the reason the link was flagged. In this example, the status is Not Found, or HTTP 404.
A 404 status usually indicates that the destination page does not exist, the URL is incorrect or the content has been removed. Most 404 errors represent real problems that should be fixed.
Just like Accessibility Reports, Broken Links Reports include Element Location and Element Source information. These fields identify the exact HTML element that contains the broken link.
You do not need to understand HTML to fix most issues, but these details can be extremely helpful when locating a link on a complex page.
To correct the problem, I can open the page directly in Drupal.
For many pages, the View in Drupal option opens the edit screen for that content.
Here I can correct the URL by removing the extra period, save the page and publish the updated content.
After making the correction, DubBot is still showing information from the previous crawl. You can wait until the next scheduled crawl or select Refresh Content to retrieve a fresh copy of the page from the live website.
Remember, Analyze is slightly different. Analyze reruns DubBot tests against content it has already stored. For Broken Links Reports, Refresh Content is typically the tool you'll use after making a correction.
Sometimes you may determine that a reported broken link is not actually impacting users.
In those situations, Manager users may see options such as Ignore on this Page or Ignore on this Site. The options available to you may vary depending on your user role. Viewer accounts may not have access to these actions.
It's very important not to ignore a link simply because you're not sure how to fix it. Only ignore a link when you have verified that it is not creating a problem for users.
For example, if a link points to a restricted resource that works for everyone who's supposed to access it, ignoring the report may be appropriate.
However, if you're unsure whether a link is broken, or if you're seeing a 404 error, it is usually best to investigate further or contact the UCM Web Team for assistance.
Also remember that some links may appear in shared navigation or other sitewide content. If you ignore the issue without understanding the cause, it may hide a problem that affects many other pages across the website.
Not every broken link report represents the same type of issue. The HTTP status code can provide important clues.
A 404 status means Not Found and usually indicates a genuine problem.
You may also encounter 401 Unauthorized or 403 Forbidden responses. These codes often occur when a destination page requires authentication or access permissions. In those situations, the link may actually work correctly for its intended audience even though DubBot cannot access it.
That concludes our overview of Broken Links Reports in DubBot.
Remember the key takeaways from this session. Review broken links regularly, pay attention to the HTTP status code, use Element Location and Element Source to understand the issue, use View in Drupal to make corrections and avoid ignoring links unless you have confirmed they are not affecting users.
If you need help resolving an issue, the UCM Web Team is always happy to assist.
Thanks for watching, and I'll see you in the next video where we'll explore Web Governance Reports.