All dead link scanners have certain properties which distinguish it from the others. But they have certain similarities which also enable them to be grouped under the aegis of broken link scanners. These properties not only pertain to the websites being scanned or the search engine rankings, but they also relate to other user-friendly features which increase their usability when they scan for broken links. These features pertain to:
- Free service
Most dead link scanners offer an interactive version of the same which is absolutely free. Herein the user will just have to enter the URL of the website that he wants to scan and obtain the results. There is no registration required neither does it require any installation, downloading or adding extensions to web browsers.
- Schedule auto-scans
On subscribing to a broken link scanner, the user can log in to schedule a scan simply by following certain simple steps. The scan takes place as per the schedule and a report regarding the outcome is emailed back to the user.
- Restricted scans
These scanners also have the facility for restricted scans wherein the user can specify a single sub-directory scan. Most dead link auto-scanners provide for this facility. In fact, even within the sub-directory certain links can be excluded from getting scanned. Thus the scan can be customised to suit the user’s purpose.
- Works well for active websites
The dead link scanner even works for dynamic websites like the ASP, the PHP, the JSP websites, etc. But it will only check the given URL only once in a session and if the active page content changes, then it will not be scanned.
- Types of dead link scanners
Primarily all dead link scanners can be divided into:
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- Site checkers which are single website dead link scanners.
- Multi-site checker which require the user to register and then use the email to log in and conduct multiple sites scanning in one go.
- Auto checker which is an entry-level service requiring subscription and,
- Premium and professional auto-checkers which need to be subscribed and which allow a large number of websites to be scanned for dead links and are generally used by website audit and maintenance companies like Hexometer.
There are numbers of advantages to using a dead link scanner and the same should be used to one’s advantage so that the business benefits from high-quality links by doing away with dead links.
