Dead link
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A dead link or broken link is a link on the world wide web that points to a webpage or server that is permanently unavailable. Dead links are commonplace on the Internet, but they are considered to be unprofessional.
The most common result of a dead link is a 404 error, which indicates that the page could not be found.
Dead links can also refer to URLs that point to sites unrelated to the content requested, e.g., a search for "Sports at ESPN.com" resulting in pornography or advertisements.
The process of links "spontaneously" changing to dead state is commonly called link rot.
There are also links that are crafted especially to not resolve, as a kind of meme, known as Zangelding, which apparently means in Dutch Tanglething. A zangelding is a list of self referencing broken links.
Prevention and replacements
Dead links can be prevented using permalinks.
See also
External links
- http://www.aignes.com/deadlink.htm Freeware to update your bookmark list