Website Link Checking (Desktop Software)

Website link checking is necessary. Dead links can make a website seem old and unmaintained. I've heard that many dead links can have an adverse effect on search engine rankings, although I do not know with certainty whether that is true (I'm not an SEO expert).

Fortunately, there is software to automate link checking. It is available both online and as apps for running from a desktop computer.

A big downside to using online services, whether free or paid, is that a person is dependent on the website remaining online and current. While it's there and usable, it can be handy to have. When it goes away, a person needs to find a different website to provide the service or go without.

This article is only about desktop apps.

Downloading apps and using them from a desktop computer can also have downsides. Downsides include overloaded computers that are already running slow. Downsides also include software that eventually needs updating but might no longer be maintained.

While I was using a Windows desktop, I used Xeno's Link Sleuth for links checking. But that was much over a decade ago. (I now use a Mac desktop.) Just now, I checked and the Xeno software is still downloadable and still free. It might or might not work on the Windows version you are running. Check the specifications.

The Screaming Frog software is a link-checking option for both Windows and Mac desktops. You'll find a "download" link at the pricing page. The software does much more than just check links. Its primary purpose is to help with SEO. It is free to use up to 500 links. After that, there is a fee.

Currently, what I use mostly is the Integrity links checker for Mac. The free version has no URLs limit. If you want to use the software for more than just checking links, you'll see a chart of features and prices at that page. There is no Windows version of Integrity.

One of the above software titles might be appropriate for you to install on your desktop computer — assuming you want to use desktop links checking software.

With my experience maintaining websites, I learned it is important to check websites for broken links either on an intermittent or regular basis. No more than a few weeks should transpire between checks.

(This content first appeared in Possibilities newsletter.)

Will Bontrager