Forum

[AriWeissman]

Why is Crownpeak DQM telling me a link is broken when it's not?

[AriWeissman · Accepted solution]

There are occasions when DQM reports a broken link, but when the link is opened the webpage seems to work.

Below are some common reasons why this may occur:

1. The broken link may be another link hidden beside or under the highlighted link in Browser view.
   It may be worth checking the URL highlighted in the source code view to make sure that it is the same URL opened from the browser view.
2. The link was broken during the time of the scan
   Checking for broken links happens during the scheduled scan for most sites. During this scan, any broken links found are added to the broken links report. Links being scanned by Crownpeak DQM may be broken at the time the scan occurs, but become available again shortly afterward without any intervention from the site owner. This is typically a result of pages that 'time out' because your website is exceptionally busy. This should only occur very rarely and the broken links will be removed from Crownpeak DQM during the next scheduled scan.
3. The website's server is informing Crownpeak DQM that it is a broken page even if it works
   When Crownpeak DQM checks a page the web server where the website is found returns a page status. There are occasions where the webserver is telling the scanner that the page is broken by returning an error (such as a 404 broken link error) even though the page works. Please coordinate with the respective IT/webserver team and have the webserver checked to ensure that it is reporting pages correctly. 
4. The broken link is redirecting users to a general page since it could not find the link entered
   Some websites are configured to redirect users to the home page or a topic page if the link provided does not exist. When the broken link page is loading please be mindful if the URL changes or redirects, this may mean that the page is broken and has redirected the user to a working page.