Quick Answer: A free internal link checker crawls your website, maps internal links, flags broken URLs, highlights redirects, and spots orphan-risk pages. Word Spinner's free Internal Link Checker runs in your browser, checks 5 to 100 pages per crawl, respects robots.txt by default, and exports CSV, TSV, or PDF reports.
Broken links hide in menus, old posts, redirects, and content hubs. A quick crawl turns those hidden problems into a fix queue you can actually finish: repair 4xx links first, review redirects second, connect orphan-risk pages third, then improve anchors on pages that need more internal support.
What is an internal link checker?
An internal link checker is a crawler that follows links between pages on your own website and reports what it finds. It records the source page, destination URL, anchor text, link status, and how each page sits inside your site structure.
The useful output is not just a list of URLs. It shows broken internal links, redirecting links, pages with weak inbound link support, and orphan-risk pages that may sit outside normal crawl paths. That makes it part technical SEO tool and part content maintenance checklist.
The Word Spinner free Internal Link Checker is built for quick audits. The live tool page confirms that it crawls a site, finds broken links, checks redirects, surfaces orphan pages, provides a link health score, and exports reports without requiring signup.
How does a free internal link checker work?
A free internal link checker starts with one URL and follows crawlable internal links from that page. Each new internal URL joins the crawl until the tool reaches the page limit, crawl depth, or a blocked path.
According to Google Search Central's crawlable links guidance, links work best for discovery when they use a proper anchor element with a destination URL. That is why a crawler checks actual links, not just visible button labels or page text.
Word Spinner's tool supports 5 to 100 pages per run, with 25 pages as the default. It reads robots.txt by default, so the audit follows normal crawl rules unless you choose to override that setting for a controlled test.
| Report area | What it shows | First action |
|---|---|---|
| Broken links | Internal links returning 4xx or 5xx errors | Replace, remove, or redirect the failed URL |
| Redirects | Links that pass through another URL before loading | Point the internal link to the final URL |
| Orphan risk | Pages with zero inbound internal links in the crawl | Add one relevant link from a crawlable page |
| Link graph | How pages connect across the site | Find isolated pages and weak topic paths |
How do you run a quick internal link audit?
Start with your homepage or the main section URL you want to test. Paste it into the checker, keep the default 25-page crawl for a small site, and raise the limit toward 100 pages when you want a wider view.
Leave robots.txt compliance on for normal production audits. Turn it off only when you own the site, understand the blocked path, and need to test a staging or private section that normal crawlers would skip.
Run the crawl, then export the report as CSV if you want a spreadsheet queue. Use TSV for cleaner copy-paste into docs, or PDF when you need to share the audit with a client, manager, or developer.
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Which internal link issues should you fix first?
Fix broken links first because they send crawlers and readers to failed pages. A 404 from an old blog link, pricing page, or category page creates a dead path that you can usually repair in minutes.
Clean redirecting internal links second. Redirects are normal during migrations, but your own links should point to the final destination when possible. That keeps crawl paths direct and reduces avoidable hops.
Connect orphan-risk pages third. An orphan-risk page may load perfectly, but it lacks inbound internal links inside the crawl. Add a link from a related hub, guide, category page, or high-traffic post so search engines and readers can find it naturally.
"A useful internal link audit does not end with a crawl report; it ends with a ranked fix queue."
How do broken links, redirects, and orphan pages differ?
Broken links point to URLs that fail. Common examples include deleted posts, renamed landing pages, old campaign URLs, and product pages removed without a redirect.
Redirects point somewhere that still works, but the link takes an extra step. One redirect is usually not a crisis. A site full of old redirected internal links makes maintenance harder and can hide migration debt.
Orphan pages are different because the destination loads, but your site does not link to it in the crawled path. Google's SEO Starter Guide explains that navigation helps visitors move from general content to specific content. Internal links do that same job for crawlers.
| Issue | What happens | Best fix | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broken link | The destination returns a 4xx or 5xx error | Update, remove, or redirect | Highest |
| Redirect | The link loads after one or more hops | Link directly to the final URL | Medium |
| Orphan-risk page | The page has no inbound links in the crawl | Add a relevant link from a crawlable page | High |
When should you rerun the check?
Run an internal link check after every URL migration, template change, menu update, or batch publish. These are the moments when broken links and orphan pages appear fastest.
For a small website that changes slowly, a monthly or quarterly audit is enough. For an active blog or tools site, rerun the crawl after each content batch so new pages join the site structure before they drift.
According to Screaming Frog's SEO Spider configuration documentation, crawler settings can change what a crawl discovers, including how robots.txt and crawl behavior apply. Keep your settings consistent when you compare one audit with the next.
What should you do after the audit?
Export the report and turn it into a queue with four columns: source page, problem URL, fix type, and owner. Keep it boring. A simple queue gets fixed faster than a dense audit doc.
Pair link fixes with content planning. Use the free keyword clustering workflow to group related topics, then add internal links between pages inside the same cluster. If you want more no-login SEO utilities, the free SEO tools list gives you a wider maintenance stack.
"The fastest internal link wins usually come from old pages that already earn traffic but still point readers to outdated URLs."
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People Also Ask
Is an internal link checker the same as a broken link checker?
No. A broken link checker usually focuses on failed URLs, while an internal link checker also reviews redirects, link paths, anchor text, orphan-risk pages, and site structure. Broken links are one part of the report, but the full audit helps you improve how pages connect across your site.
How many pages should I crawl first?
Start with 25 pages if you want a quick sample from a small site or one content section. Raise the crawl toward 100 pages when you need broader coverage across menus, blog posts, tools, or category pages.
Do internal links help search engines find pages?
Yes. Crawlable internal links help search engines discover pages and understand how content relates across a site. They also help readers move from broad pages to more specific pages without relying only on search or the sitemap.
FAQ
What is an internal link checker?
An internal link checker is a crawler that follows links between pages on your website and reports link status, source pages, destination URLs, and link structure. It helps you find broken internal links, redirects, weakly linked pages, and orphan-risk pages before they hurt user paths or crawl discovery.
How often should I check internal links?
Check internal links after any site migration, URL change, template update, or large content batch. For active blogs, a monthly crawl keeps fixes manageable; for smaller sites, a quarterly crawl usually catches issues before they stack up.
What counts as an orphan page?
An orphan page is a page that loads but has no inbound internal links from the pages in your crawl. It can still exist in a sitemap or receive direct visits, but weak internal linking makes discovery and ongoing crawling less reliable.
Should I fix redirects or broken links first?
Fix broken links first because they lead to failed pages. Clean redirects after that by updating internal links to point directly at the final destination URL.
Can I use this for a small website?
Yes. A small website is often the best fit for a quick internal link checker because a 25-page default crawl may cover most of the site. You can raise the crawl limit up to 100 pages when you need a broader view.