Quick answer
Repair, remove, or deliberately replace internal links whose targets return an error. First confirm the target’s intended purpose; do not redirect every broken URL to the homepage.
What the issue means
An internal link points from one page on the audited site to another URL on that site. It is broken when the target cannot be retrieved successfully, commonly because it returns a 4xx or 5xx response. The source link and target response are separate pieces of evidence.
Why it matters for SEO
Broken links interrupt user journeys and can prevent crawlers from reaching useful pages. A missing page may be intentional, so the right fix can be removal rather than restoration.
How NOTABIS detects it
The broken-internal-link rule is link-scoped and high severity. NOTABIS records an internal target that returned an error during the crawl. The evidence should be read with the target status, source URL, and any redirect details.
How to check it yourself
Open the source page and copy the link destination. Test it with a normal GET request; some servers handle HEAD requests differently:
curl -sS -D - -o /dev/null https://example.com/linked-page
Follow redirects when you need to check the final destination, and search templates, navigation, CMS content, and generated feeds for other references.
How to fix it
If the page moved, update the source link directly to the relevant destination and configure one appropriate redirect for old external references. If the page should exist, restore it. If it has no replacement, remove stale links and allow an appropriate 404 or 410.
For example, if a guide has moved, update the page that links to it so visitors go straight to the new location:
<a href="/guides/solar-panel-maintenance">Solar panel maintenance guide</a>
Keep the old URL’s redirect when external sites may still link to it. A 200 response from the new link and a direct destination are better evidence than hiding the old URL’s error behind a homepage redirect.
When this is intentional or does not need fixing
Links to deliberately removed content, protected areas, or temporary operational endpoints need context. Do not expose private content merely to make a crawler pass.
Related issues
Compare HTTP errors, redirected pages, and redirect chains.
Run a NOTABIS audit
Use affected-link evidence in the report to identify both the source page and failing target.