Broken Link Checker
Plugin Review
AI-ResearchedWhat is Broken Link Checker?
Broken Link Checker automatically monitors your WordPress site for broken links and missing images. Developed by WPMU DEV, this plugin has been actively maintained for 19 years. It currently has over 500,000 active installs and a 3.8 out of 5 rating from 592 reviews. The plugin scans posts, pages, comments, and custom fields to find broken or redirected URLs. It then gives you a centralized dashboard to fix them quickly. With over 17 million total downloads, it is one of the most widely used link-checking tools for WordPress.
The plugin offers both cloud-based and local scanning options. The cloud version uses WPMU DEV servers to detect issues 20x faster than traditional scans. You can create a free Hub account to access the cloud version without a premium membership. The local version works entirely on your own server. Both options help protect your SEO by catching broken links before they harm your rankings.
Key Features of Broken Link Checker
- Automatic Link Monitoring: Scans your posts, pages, comments, and custom post types on a schedule you define.
- Email Alerts & Dashboard Notifications: Receive instant email alerts or summary notifications when broken links are found.
- Quick Fixes from One Dashboard: Edit, unlink, or ignore broken links directly from the plugin dashboard without editing each post.
- Advanced Search Filtering: Filter results by URL, status, or error type to focus on specific issues.
- Two Link Checking Engines: Choose between local server scanning or 20x faster cloud-based scanning via WPMU DEV API.
- Broken Image Detection: Catch missing visuals and broken image URLs before they affect user experience.
- Multisite Support: Manage broken links across all sites in a WordPress Multisite network from one interface.
- Custom Filters: Exclude specific post types, categories, or domains from scans to match your workflow.
Who Should Use Broken Link Checker?
This plugin suits beginners and experienced site owners alike. It requires no coding knowledge to install and use. The dashboard shows all broken links in one place, making it easy for non-technical users to fix issues. With 50,000+ broken links found daily across all installations, it is ideal for content-heavy sites like blogs, news portals, and eCommerce stores. The plugin scans custom fields and WooCommerce product links, making it useful for online shops.
Developers and agencies managing multiple client sites benefit from the Multisite support. The cloud version also works inside the WPMU DEV Hub, giving you a central view of all your sites. The plugin helps maintain site credibility by catching broken links before visitors notice them. With 60% of ratings being five-star, most users find it effective for ongoing link maintenance.
Installation & Setup
Installation is beginner-friendly. You can install it directly from the WordPress plugin repository and activate it like any other plugin. After activation, you choose between the local scanning engine or the cloud-based engine. The cloud option requires a free WPMU DEV Hub account, which you can create inside the plugin settings. The plugin works with WordPress 5.2+ and PHP 7.4+.
Support & Community
The plugin has a 92% support resolution rate over the last two months, with 11 resolved threads out of 12 open. This indicates responsive developer support for reported issues. The rating breakdown shows 60% of users give 0% give one star. The high one-star rate suggests some users encounter setup friction or performance concerns. The plugin has a dedicated bug reporting system through the Patchstack Vulnerability Disclosure Program. With 19 years of updates, the plugin has an established community and frequent compatibility updates. The last update was May 23, 2026, showing active maintenance.
Pros & Cons
- With 500K+ active installs and 17 million downloads, it is widely trusted for automatic link monitoring across posts, pages, comments, and custom fields.
- Cloud-based scanning detects issues 20x faster than other plugins, and the plugin finds over 50,000 broken links daily.
- Email alerts notify you immediately when a link breaks, allowing proactive fixes before visitors or SEO are impacted.
- The centralized dashboard lets you edit, unlink, or ignore broken links in seconds, saving hours of manual work.
- Supports multisite networks, making it suitable for agencies managing multiple WordPress sites from one interface.
- The plugin can significantly slow down your site’s admin area and database, especially on large sites with many posts and links.
- It has a 22% 1-star rating from 592 reviews, indicating frequent issues with performance, false positives, or compatibility.
- Free version only supports local scanning on your server, which can consume substantial server resources and may be blocked by hosts.
Technical Details
- Requires WordPress
- 5.2+
- Requires PHP
- 7.4+
- Tested up to WP
- 7.0
- First Released
- 2007 (19+ years)
- Support (last 2 months)
- 11 threads — 91% resolved
Feature Tags
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, the plugin is completely free and includes all core scanning features. You can use it locally on your server or connect to a free WPMU DEV Hub account for faster cloud-based scans.
Over 500,000 WordPress sites actively use Broken Link Checker. It has also achieved more than 17 million total downloads since its first release in 2007.
The plugin requires WordPress version 5.2 or higher to run properly. This ensures compatibility with modern WordPress features and security updates.
Yes, the plugin was last updated on May 23, 2026, and has been actively maintained since its first release in 2007. The current version is 2.4.8.
You need PHP version 7.4 or higher to use Broken Link Checker. This requirement helps ensure stable performance and security.
Support is reliable, with 10 of 11 support threads resolved in the last 2 months, giving a 91% resolution rate. The plugin also has a rating of 3.8 out of 5 from 592 ratings.
Yes, it is beginner-friendly because it automatically scans your site and lets you fix broken links from a single dashboard. You can edit, unlink, or ignore broken links in seconds without touching your theme or content.
Key features include automatic monitoring of posts, pages, comments, and custom fields, plus cloud-based scanning that detects issues 20x faster. You also get email alerts, comprehensive reports with filters, and support for multisite networks.