Advanced Broken Link Checker Plugin for WordPress

The Broken Link Checker plugin is an essential tool for identifying and managing broken, redirected, and 404 links on your WordPress site. This guide will help you navigate its features, configure the plugin, and tackle issues like PHP execution limits and Cloudflare restrictions.

Features of the Broken Link Checker Plugin

Link Scanning

The plugin scans your posts to find broken, redirected, and 404 links. It does this in batches to reduce server load.

Exclusion List

You can choose to exclude certain domains from being scanned.

Batch Processing

The plugin allows you to adjust the batch size in the settings, from 1 to 200 posts per batch.

Detailed Results

The scan results are sorted into categories: broken links, redirected links, and 404 links. Each link is shown with its status and the post ID where it was found.

Custom User-Agent

To avoid being blocked by some websites, the plugin uses a custom user-agent string. (Some websites still bypass it, though. There is nothing we can do about it).

Configuration and Usage: How to Use This Broken Link Checker

Installing the Plugin

Download and install the plugin from your WordPress dashboard. You can just click on Plugins option under Admin Dashboard and click on Add New Plugin, and then click the Upload Plugin button. Now you can upload the downloaded zip file and activate the plugin once uploaded.

Setting Batch Size

Go to the plugin settings (Broken Link Checker) and choose the batch size, which determines how many posts are scanned in each batch.

Adding Exclusions

Add domains to the exclusions list to prevent them from being scanned. For example, type facebook.com and press enter, then type twitter.com and press Enter, and so on.

Starting a Scan

Click “Start Scan” to begin the scanning process. It will show you how many posts have been scanned along with total number of posts it is going to scan.

Scan Result

Scan result lists the following:

• Redirected Links: The actual link is redirected to any other other page.
• Broken Links: Links that are broken or not accessible, e.g. 502/403 error, apache/ngnix error, etc.
• 404 error: 404 or Page not found errors

Editing the post that has broken links

As you can see in the image above every link has a post id mentioned, you can click on the post ID to directly go to post edit page. It has been codded to open a new window, but I will still recommend right-clicking and clicking the option to open the link in a new window to avoid any trouble (to make sure the scanned result is not lost).

Troubleshooting

Increasing PHP Execution Limit

To keep the plugin running smoothly, you might need to increase the PHP execution limit on your server if the scanner is stopping or giving error in the middle. You may set it to higher than 300, this is just an example. Here’s how:

Edit php.ini File

max_execution_time = 300
memory_limit = 256M
max_input_time = 300

Edit .htaccess File

php_value max_execution_time 300
php_value memory_limit 256M
php_value max_input_time 300

Edit wp-config.php File

set_time_limit(300);

Dealing with Cloudflare Limitations

Cloudflare’s free accounts have a maximum execution time of 100 seconds, and enterprise accounts have up to 300 seconds. This can interrupt the plugin’s scanning process, especially for large websites. If the scanner stops or gives errors:

Disable Cloudflare Temporarily

Log into your Cloudflare account, go to the DNS settings, and click the cloud icon to gray for the relevant domain to disable Cloudflare.

Re-enable Cloudflare After Scan

Once the scan is done, turn Cloudflare back on by clicking the cloud icon to orange.

By setting these configurations and managing server and Cloudflare limitations, you can effectively use the Broken Link Checker plugin to keep your website’s links in top shape.

How to get/download this Plugin?

• Plugin Cost: $10 (one-time payment)
• Usage: Lifetime, Unlimited Website

Send payment via Paypal to payments@zoheb.org. Mention your email address in the note or send me an email to me@zoheb.org after the payment. I will send you the plugin.

Need Professional Assistance? Contact: me@zoheb.org