Broken Link CheckerThe Chrome extension scans the page or site in your current tab for broken links. By the end of this page you will have it installed and pinned to your toolbar.
Plan: the extension is free to install and use on every plan. Once you sign in, its scans come out of your account's monthly pool.
What the extension is
brokenlinkchecker.io is the product, and the extension is a free way to reach it from Chrome. The scan runs on our servers, so your browser does not slow down. Results stream into the popup while the scan is still running. Every scan also gets a full report page on brokenlinkchecker.io.
Requirements
- Google Chrome version 116 or newer.
- No account for your first scan. Guest mode and signing in explains what an account adds.
We build and test the extension for Google Chrome only. Other browsers built on Chromium are not tested or supported.
Install from the Chrome Web Store
- Open the Broken Link Checker - BLC listing on the Chrome Web Store.
- Click Add to Chrome.
- Click Add extension in the box that Chrome shows.
- A new tab opens with the welcome page.
The listing is called Broken Link Checker - BLC, and the current version is 1.0.3. The install box lists no permission warnings, because the extension cannot read your sites on its own.
Pin the icon
Chrome hides new extensions behind the puzzle piece icon in the toolbar.
- Click the puzzle piece icon next to the address bar.
- Find Broken Link Checker in the list.
- Click the pin next to its name.
The icon now sits in your toolbar, one click away on every page. Press Ctrl+Shift+L to open the popup from the keyboard, or Cmd+Shift+L on a Mac.
What each permission is for
You can see these permissions on the extension's details page in Chrome. Each permission below has one job, and none of them reads your browsing history.
| Permission | What it does |
|---|---|
| Active tab | Reads the address of the tab you clicked the icon in, and only that tab. |
| Scripting | Adds the highlight outline to the page you scanned, when you ask for it. |
| Storage | Keeps your settings, your sign-in, recent scans and ignored links inside Chrome. |
| Side panel | Shows your results in the Chrome side panel next to the page. |
| Alarms | Keeps the progress of a scan updating if Chrome pauses the extension. |
| Notifications | Optional, and Chrome asks for it only when you switch on notifications in Options. |
The extension has no access to the sites you visit. It sees the address of a tab only after you click its icon in that tab. Extension privacy lists what leaves your browser and what stays in it.
The welcome page
A new tab opens on brokenlinkchecker.io right after you install the extension. It reads "You're all set" and lists four quick things to try:
- Pin the icon so the extension stays visible in your toolbar.
- Try it on a demo page that holds working, broken and redirected links.
- Open the side panel from the popup menu, or with Ctrl+Shift+K.
- Create your free account for whole-site scans and a monthly pool of scans.
Click Open the demo page to try a scan on real broken links. The demo page has three working links, four broken links and one redirect. Scan it, then click HIGHLIGHT on a result to see that link light up.
The welcome page opens only after a fresh install, never after an update. Scan a page or a site walks you through your first real scan.
Remove the extension
Right-click the icon in the toolbar and click Remove from Chrome to uninstall it. Chrome then opens a short page on brokenlinkchecker.io that asks why you removed it.
Your local scan history goes with the extension, but your account and saved reports stay. A signed-in extension also stays listed under Connected apps on your Account page until you revoke it there.