The Broken external links signal shows external URLs linked from this website that returned an error or could not be checked during this scan.
This is a scan-level signal. It answers: “Did this snapshot find external links that may need attention anywhere in the scanned site?”
What this signal means
A broken external link is a link from your site to another website where the target failed during checking.
The failure may be:
- an HTTP error, such as
404or500 - a network or fetch error
- a redirect chain that did not resolve cleanly
- an unknown result where Siteimp could not get a clean status
Signal vs issue
This page is the signal view. It summarizes the problem at scan level.
A page issue is the same kind of finding, but scoped to one page. For example, if the scan finds broken external links across the website, that appears as a signal. If a specific page links to broken external targets, that page can show a Broken external links issue.
Why it matters
Broken external links create dead ends for readers. They can also weaken trust when references, documentation links, signup links, or calls to action stop working.
External sites are not under your control, but the links on your pages are. You can update them, remove them, replace them, or decide that the current behavior is acceptable.
What to check next
Open the broken target in a browser.
If the page is gone, look for a replacement source.
If the target redirects, confirm the final URL is still the page you meant to reference.
If the failure looks temporary, rerun the scan later before changing content.
If this signal lists source pages or occurrences, use those details to find where the broken target appears.
Why this signal may be empty
If the page says no broken external links were found, Siteimp did not find failing external targets in this scan.
That does not mean external websites can never change. It means this snapshot did not detect broken external link targets.