Why are some links or buttons on my site broken?

How do I find and fix broken links?

1. Click through the pages people use most. Home, services, contact, and anything in the main menu. Check the header, the footer and every button.
2. Write each problem down: the page it’s on, the words on the link or button, and what happens (error page, wrong page, nothing).
3. Check Google’s list. If your site is in Search Console, open the Page indexing report and look for the reason Not found (404) in the “Why pages aren’t indexed” table. Google’s Page indexing help says Google finds these through links, sitemaps or deleted pages.
4. Decide the fix for each one:
   • The page still exists under a new address: update the link to the new address.
   • The page is gone but something else replaces it: add a redirect from the old address to the replacement.
   • The page is gone with no replacement: remove the link.
5. Fix buttons in the page editor. Open the page, select the button, and check its link field. It should hold a full page address, a phone link or an email link, not be empty.
6. Test again in a private window, on a computer and a phone.

Expected result: every link and button goes where its words promise.

The short version

• A “Page not found” link usually points at a page that was renamed, moved or deleted.
• List each bad link, its page and where it should go. Fix the link, or redirect the old address.

Why does it matter?

A dead “Book now” or “Contact us” button costs you the customer who clicked it. Broken links also make a site feel neglected. For search, Google’s guide on status codes says pages that return 404 are dropped from its index. Google also says 404s are not necessarily a problem when a page was removed on purpose. It suggests fixing the ones you link to yourself, and using redirects when a page has moved, as its guide to moving pages explains.

What are the common mistakes and edge cases?

• After a site move or new domain. Links typed into pages, menus and footers may still use the old address. Some plugins also stay tied to the old host. A full link check after every move catches these.
• Renaming a page. Changing a page’s address in WordPress doesn’t update links to it on other pages. Update them, or add a redirect.
• Deleting a page that’s in the menu or a button. The menu item or button stays and leads nowhere. See change your menu.
• Links to other websites. Partners, suppliers and booking tools change their addresses too. Check outside links once in a while.
• Phone and email links. A phone button needs a “tel:” link and an email button a “mailto:” link. A typo in either makes the button do nothing on phones.
• Links to PDFs. Replacing a PDF with a file of a different name breaks every link to it. See upload a PDF or document.
• Works for you, not for others. Links to pages you can see only while logged in will fail for visitors. Test in a private window.

What if this didn’t work?

• The link is right but the page still errors: the page itself may be broken, or private, or in draft. Open it while logged in to check.
• A button looks fine but won’t click: something may be covering it, such as a pop-up or a layout fault. See something on my page looks broken.
• Many links broke at once: that usually points to a site-wide change, such as a move, a new domain or a permalink setting. Ask your web company to look.
• Search Console still lists old 404s: it shows errors from the past month, and Google keeps checking known addresses for a while. Once fixed, they clear over time.

How does E-3 handle this?

Send us the page address, the words on the broken link or button, and where it should go. A screenshot helps, with any personal details covered. A person at E-3 finds the cause, then fixes the link or sets up a redirect. Website care includes daily backups.

Email support@e3help.me, call 814-399-4655, or use the Get support form.

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