Sometimes Clariti flags a link as broken even though it opens fine when you click it. That usually means the other site did not answer Clariti's check the way it answers a person in a browser. Here is why it happens and what to do about it.
How Clariti Checks Your Links
Clariti tests every link and image on your site about once a month, and tests new links within a couple of days of finding them. It requests each address from its own servers and follows any redirects to the final page. A link or image is flagged as broken when:
The page returns an error, like 404 Not Found
The site takes too long to respond
Clariti cannot reach the site at all
The site has a problem with its HTTPS certificate
The address itself is not valid
Clariti does not count a 403 Forbidden as broken, because many big sites send that to any automated visitor.
Why a Working Link Can Be Flagged
The site was slow. If a page takes more than a few seconds to start loading, Clariti marks it as a connection timeout.
The site blocks automated checks. Some large retailers and apps turn away bots with an error instead of the page, so Clariti never sees the page you see.
The site was down when Clariti checked. A brief outage on the other site can catch a link at the wrong moment.
The link expires. Some affiliate and marketing links create temporary addresses that stop working after a while, even though the original link still sends readers somewhere.
On a post's Content tab, each broken link shows its status and when it was last tested, for example "Status 622 (Connection timeout)." That status is a good clue about which of these is going on.
How to Check and Retest a Link
1. Open the post in Clariti and go to the Content tab. Click the flagged link to make sure it works in your browser.
2. To have Clariti check again, click Quick Actions and choose Retest Links, then confirm. Clariti retests every link and image on that post within the next 24 hours.
3. If the link works but Clariti still flags it after the retest, check the Ignore box next to it. It will no longer count toward your broken link totals.
Ignoring a Link Applies to Your Whole Site
When you ignore a broken link or image, Clariti ignores that exact address on every post on your site that uses it. So if you link to the same kitchen scale on Amazon from 40 recipes, ignoring it once clears it from all 40. Uncheck the box to stop ignoring it everywhere.
Ignoring missing alt text is different. That only applies to the one image on the post you are looking at.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I ignore every link to a certain website?
Clariti does not have a setting to ignore a whole domain. Ignore each address instead. Since ignoring applies across your site, each one only needs to be ignored once.
Will false alarms clear up on their own?
Often, yes. If a site was just slow or down for a moment, the next monthly check may pass. Use Retest Links if you do not want to wait.
Where can I see all my broken links at once?
In Explore, add the Broken Links column and sort by it, or filter by Broken Link Count. See All About Links.
If you are seeing a lot of false alarms, or links that stay flagged after a retest, let us know. We are happy to take a look.
Still Have Questions?
Reach out anytime and we will help you sort it out. Email us at [email protected].