How to fix broken links and missing images on your website
A “page not found” error, an empty box where a photo should be, a menu link that goes nowhere. Each one makes a business look closed. They're easy to miss and quick to fix once you find them all.
Why links and images break
- Pages were renamed or deleted without a redirect. The old address still appears in your menu, on other pages, in Google and in customers' bookmarks, but nothing is there anymore.
- The site moved. A new domain, a new host or a switch to https leaves old addresses inside your pages. On WordPress, this is the most common reason images stop showing after a migration. If you're planning a move, see how to move off Wix or Squarespace safely.
- Images were deleted from the media library while pages still used them, or were loaded from another website that has since removed them.
- Mixed content. Images loaded over plain http on an https site are blocked by browsers, so they appear broken for visitors.
- Links to other websites that closed. Partners, directories, old social media pages and articles that no longer exist.
- A theme or plugin change that altered how page addresses are built.
Find the broken links on your site for free
- Click through your own menu on your phone, including every dropdown, and the links in your footer.
- Use a free broken link checker. Several free online tools crawl a small site and list every broken link. Search for “broken link checker” and use a well-reviewed one.
- Check Google Search Console. Under Pages, look for Not found (404). These are addresses Google tried to visit and couldn't. The same report shows why other pages aren't showing up on Google.
- Open your key pages in a private window and look for empty image boxes or broken image icons.
On WordPress after a move? If images broke after changing domain or switching to https, don't re-upload them one by one. The fix is a careful search and replace of the old address in the database, which repairs every page at once.
What broken pages cost you
A broken menu link or a “page not found” error tells customers the business might not be active anymore. Missing photos make a site look unfinished. And while you're fixing images, check they aren't oversized too: they're the top reason a website is slow. People rarely report them; they just leave and pick someone whose website works.
How I fix it
I find every broken link and image on the site, not just the ones you've noticed, and fix each one properly so old links keep working.
Crawl the whole site
I scan every page and every link, and check Google Search Console for addresses Google tried and couldn't find.
Fix or redirect
Renamed pages get a permanent redirect from the old address, so old links, bookmarks and Google results still land in the right place.
Restore the images
I replace missing images and correct old addresses left behind after a move to a new domain or to https.
Catch the rest
I add a helpful “page not found” page that points people to your main pages, and send you a before-and-after report.
Quick Fix · $497
Broken links and images are usually covered by the Quick Fix, with everything on your findings list fixed in 3 business days. The Care Plans include monthly broken-link monitoring so new ones get caught early.
The fix-first guarantee
You pay only after you've checked the work and you're happy with it. If anything I fixed breaks within 30 days, I fix it again at no charge.
Questions owners ask
Do broken links hurt my Google ranking?
A few won't sink you, but they waste Google's visits to your site on dead ends, and broken links to your own pages stop ranking value from flowing through the site. The bigger cost is visitors who hit a dead end and leave.
Why did my images disappear after moving my WordPress site?
Usually because the pages still point to the images at the old web address. WordPress stores full addresses in its database, so a move needs a proper search and replace of the old address, not just copying the files.
Why do my images show on my computer but not for customers?
Often because the images are loaded over http on a site that uses https. Browsers block them as insecure. It can also be your own browser showing an old saved copy. Check in a private window.
Should I just delete the pages that give a 404 error?
Not if people or Google still visit them. If a page moved, redirect the old address to the new one. If it's truly gone, redirect it to the closest relevant page.
Melissa Charles
Founder of Charles Web Works, with a background as a Sr. Software Engineer, an M.S. in AI and machine learning and a bachelor's in accounting. I fix small business websites for one flat price, and you pay after you've checked the work.
Often found together
Get a free findings list for your site
Tell me your website address. I'll check it for this problem and everything else that's costing you customers, then email you a plain-English list and a flat price, usually within one business day. No sales call.