What link hygiene means
Google follows links written as <a href> with an address it can resolve. Its documentation says links without an href, or with a javascript: address, are not followed. A typo in the address itself, such as htps:// or https:/, sends visitors and crawlers to the wrong place even when the destination page works.
Internal links that carry tracking codes or cart actions create extra copies of the same pages for crawlers to fetch, can restart analytics sessions, and cart links make crawlers change carts. Links from an HTTPS page to http:// addresses on the same site cost an extra redirect on every click and crawl.
htps://shop.example/a/ was probably meant as https, but only you know where a link should go. The report shows the href as written and the link text, so you can find it in your template or editor.
How this tool works, step by step
Read robots.txt and fetch the page
The checker reads robots.txt for DeepSpider, requests the page with DeepSpider’s own user agent and follows up to five redirects.
Read every link
It reads every <a href> and <area href> in the HTML source, resolves each one against the page and its <base>, and keeps the original href and link text.
Classify without requesting
Malformed addresses, tracking and cart parameters, http:// internal links and unfollowable links are found from the HTML alone. No linked URL is requested.
Apply the audit’s checks
It runs the same link checks as a full DeepSpider audit over this page and shows the evidence for each finding.
How to read the report
Address written wrongly
A scheme typo, a missing slash or scheme, two URLs in one href or a user name and password in the URL. Correct the href.
Tracking or cart codes
The report shows the clean address to link to instead.
Insecure internal link
An HTTPS page links to an http:// address on its own site. Change it to https:// or a relative path.
#, empty or javascript:
Fine for buttons that open menus, but a crawler cannot use these as links. Use a real href for real pages.
How to fix the common mistakes
Paste the full https:// address instead of typing it. Most typos start with a hand-typed scheme.
Two addresses glued together usually come from a CMS field that adds a prefix to a value that is already absolute.
Track internal navigation with analytics events instead of utm_ parameters, and fix templates that copy the visitor’s query string into links.
Use forms or nofollow links for add-to-cart actions and disallow them in robots.txt (for WooCommerce: Disallow: /*add-to-cart=).
Search the database or theme for hard-coded http:// links to your own domain after moving to HTTPS.
Use <button> for actions and <a href> with a working address for navigation.
Frequently asked questions
Does the tool find broken links?
It finds broken addresses: links written so that they cannot reach the intended page. It does not request the linked pages, so a correctly written link to a page that returns 404 is not found here. A full DeepSpider audit requests every internal destination; the Redirect Chain Checker tests up to 10 URLs.
Are relative links like /about/ a problem?
No. Valid relative paths, //host links, mailto: and tel: links are not reported. Only addresses with a confirmed problem are.
Google says srsltid does not hurt search. Why is it listed?
Google has said srsltid itself does not cause search problems. The audit still lists internal links that carry it, because each one is another address for the same page for crawlers to fetch. In a full audit this is a review note outside the Website Health Score.
Are links added by JavaScript checked?
No. The checker reads the HTML source, like the first pass of a crawler. Links that only appear after scripts run are not seen.
Is the check free and private?
Yes. There is no signup or email gate and no public report page. Repeat checks of the same URL within ten minutes reuse the previous result.
Where to check the underlying guidance
Google Search Central: Make your links crawlable. WHATWG: URL Standard. Practitioner guides: Sitebulb, query string contains tracking parameters and HTTPS URL links to an HTTP URL; Screaming Frog, GA tracking parameters; Ahrefs, URL parameters.