{"id":7643,"date":"2026-04-15T08:47:09","date_gmt":"2026-04-15T06:47:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/?post_type=manual_kb&#038;p=7643"},"modified":"2026-04-15T08:47:11","modified_gmt":"2026-04-15T06:47:11","slug":"broken-link-checker-how-to-detect-and-fix-broken-links-in-wordpress","status":"publish","type":"manual_kb","link":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/broken-link-checker-how-to-detect-and-fix-broken-links-in-wordpress\/","title":{"rendered":"Broken Link Checker \u2013 How to Detect and Fix Broken Links in WordPress"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"translation-block translation-block-merged\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"p-rc_823e02a8f70caed1-107\">In <strong>2026<\/strong>, keeping your <strong>mybox<\/strong> WordPress site free of 404 errors is critical for both SEO and User Experience (UX).<sup><\/sup> <strong>Broken Link Checker (BLC)<\/strong> is the gold-standard tool for this, but with the rise of AI-driven search engines, &#8220;broken&#8221; links now include more than just 404s\u2014they include redirect loops, expired media assets, and &#8220;soft&#8221; 404s that can damage your site&#8217;s authority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"p-rc_823e02a8f70caed1-108\">As of <strong>April 2026<\/strong>, the plugin has evolved to offer two distinct architectures: <strong>Local<\/strong> (server-based) and <strong>Cloud<\/strong> (SaaS-based), allowing you to choose the best performance profile for your hosting environment.<sup><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_86 ez-toc-wrap-left counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/broken-link-checker-how-to-detect-and-fix-broken-links-in-wordpress\/#What_Broken_Link_Checker_Tracks_in_2026\" >What Broken Link Checker Tracks in 2026<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/broken-link-checker-how-to-detect-and-fix-broken-links-in-wordpress\/#Local_vs_Cloud_Scanning_Performance_on_mybox\" >Local vs. Cloud Scanning: Performance on mybox<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/broken-link-checker-how-to-detect-and-fix-broken-links-in-wordpress\/#Security_Alert_CVE-2026-39466\" >Security Alert: CVE-2026-39466<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/broken-link-checker-how-to-detect-and-fix-broken-links-in-wordpress\/#Key_Configuration_and_Strategic_Settings\" >Key Configuration and Strategic Settings<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/broken-link-checker-how-to-detect-and-fix-broken-links-in-wordpress\/#Step-by-Step_Repair_Procedure\" >Step-by-Step Repair Procedure<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/knowledgebase\/broken-link-checker-how-to-detect-and-fix-broken-links-in-wordpress\/#Summary\" >Summary<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Broken_Link_Checker_Tracks_in_2026\"><\/span><strong>What Broken Link Checker Tracks in 2026<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n<div id=\"mybox-3820296031\" class=\"mybox-content mybox-entity-placement\"><div class=\"early-access-banner-inpost\">\r\n  <div class=\"banner-left-inpost\">\r\n    <div class=\"icon-box-inpost\">\r\n      <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/square-info-icon.svg\" alt=\"Info\">\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"text-box-inpost\">\r\n      <span class=\"label-inpost\"><span class=\"translation-block translation-block-banner-text\">Early access<\/span><\/span>\r\n      <h4><span class=\"translation-block translation-block-banner-text\">Still need help?<\/span><\/h4>\r\n      <p><span class=\"translation-block translation-block-banner-text\">Contact our customer service team.<\/span><\/p>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <div class=\"banner-right-inpost\">\r\n    <a href=\"https:\/\/panel.mybox.com\/helpdesk2\/v\/list\/\" class=\"banner-button-inpost\"><span class=\"translation-block translation-block-banner-text\">Message us<\/span><\/a>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"translation-block translation-block-merged\"><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Beyond simple text links, the 2026 version of BLC provides deep-scan capabilities for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Dead Multimedia:<\/strong> Finds missing images, broken YouTube\/Vimeo embeds, and disconnected PDF downloads.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Redirect Chains:<\/strong> Identifies &#8220;hops&#8221; where a link goes from A \u2192 B \u2192 C, which slows down your site and loses SEO value.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>API &amp; Protocol Errors:<\/strong> Checks for malformed URLs, SSL certificate issues on external sites, and expired affiliate links.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Draft &amp; Private Content:<\/strong> Optionally monitors your &#8220;Drafts&#8221; so you can fix links <em>before<\/em> you publish new content.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Local_vs_Cloud_Scanning_Performance_on_mybox\"><\/span><strong>Local vs. Cloud Scanning: Performance on mybox<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2026, choosing the right scanning mode is vital for maintaining your server&#8217;s speed:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><td><strong>Feature<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Local Scanning<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Cloud Scanning (WPMU DEV \/ AIOSEO)<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Server Load<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>High.<\/strong> Uses your <strong>mybox<\/strong> CPU\/RAM.<\/td><td><strong>Zero.<\/strong> Scans happen on external servers.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Speed<\/strong><\/td><td>Moderate (depends on server resources).<\/td><td><strong>Up to 20x Faster<\/strong> than local scanning.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Complexity<\/strong><\/td><td>Simple, &#8220;Plug and Play.&#8221;<\/td><td>Requires an account\/API connection.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Best For<\/strong><\/td><td>Small blogs or personal sites.<\/td><td>Large e-commerce or high-traffic portals.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Security_Alert_CVE-2026-39466\"><\/span><strong>Security Alert: CVE-2026-39466<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"p-rc_823e02a8f70caed1-110\"><strong>Important Note for April 2026:<\/strong> A vulnerability (<strong>Blind SQL Injection<\/strong>) was reported on April 8, 2026, affecting versions up to <strong>2.4.7<\/strong>.<sup><\/sup> If you are using the WPMU DEV version of the plugin, ensure you have updated to <strong>version 2.4.8 or higher<\/strong> immediately to protect your <strong>mybox<\/strong> database from unauthorized data retrieval.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Key_Configuration_and_Strategic_Settings\"><\/span><strong>Key Configuration and Strategic Settings<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To get the most out of BLC without slowing down your site:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Check Interval:<\/strong> Set to <strong>72 hours<\/strong> (default). For very stable sites, once every 7 days is sufficient.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Request Limit:<\/strong> If using Local mode on <strong>mybox<\/strong>, limit the scanner to <strong>1-2 concurrent requests<\/strong> to avoid triggering &#8220;429 Too Many Requests&#8221; errors on the sites you are checking.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Exclusion Rules:<\/strong> Exclude your tracking domains (e.g., <code>google-analytics.com<\/code>) to prevent the scanner from inflating your traffic stats.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Formatting:<\/strong> Enable the option to &#8220;Apply custom formatting to broken links&#8221; (like a strikethrough) so your editors can spot errors instantly on the front end.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step-by-Step_Repair_Procedure\"><\/span><strong>Step-by-Step Repair Procedure<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Review the Dashboard:<\/strong> Navigate to <strong>Tools > Broken Links<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Bulk Edit:<\/strong> If a URL has changed globally (e.g., a brand changed its domain), use the <strong>Edit URL<\/strong> tool to update all instances at once.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Unlink:<\/strong> For resources that are permanently gone and have no replacement, use <strong>Unlink<\/strong> to remove the link while keeping the text.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Dismiss:<\/strong> If a link is actually working but triggered a &#8220;False Positive&#8221; (common with sites protected by Cloudflare), mark it as &#8220;Not Broken.&#8221;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Summary\"><\/span><strong>Summary<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"p-rc_823e02a8f70caed1-113\">Broken Link Checker is an essential part of your &#8220;SEO Hygiene&#8221; routine in 2026.<sup><\/sup> By automating the detection of dead ends and utilizing <strong>Cloud Scanning<\/strong> where possible, you ensure that your <strong>mybox<\/strong> site remains a reliable resource for both humans and search crawlers.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","format":"standard","manualknowledgebasecat":[58],"manual_kb_tag":[487,1378,6577,9685,9686,9687,9688,9689,9690,429],"class_list":["post-7643","manual_kb","type-manual_kb","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","manualknowledgebasecat-web-applications-cms","manual_kb_tag-wordpress-plugins","manual_kb_tag-user-experience","manual_kb_tag-site-speed","manual_kb_tag-broken-link-checker","manual_kb_tag-broken-links","manual_kb_tag-link-checker","manual_kb_tag-link-monitoring","manual_kb_tag-link-auditing","manual_kb_tag-broken-link-repair","manual_kb_tag-wordpress-security"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/manual_kb\/7643","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/manual_kb"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/manual_kb"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/manual_kb\/7643\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7644,"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/manual_kb\/7643\/revisions\/7644"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7643"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"manualknowledgebasecat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/manualknowledgebasecat?post=7643"},{"taxonomy":"manual_kb_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybox.com\/help\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/manual_kb_tag?post=7643"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}