Link rot

404 not found

Link rot is the process by which hyperlinks on the internet gradually become broken or dead as web pages are moved, restructured, or deleted. This phenomenon is a significant issue for the preservation of digital content and the reliability of online resources.

Causes

Link rot can occur due to several reasons:

• **Website restructuring**: When websites undergo redesigns or restructuring, the URLs of pages may change, leading to broken links.
• **Content deletion**: Web pages or entire websites may be deleted, resulting in dead links.
• **Domain expiration**: If the domain name registration expires and is not renewed, all links associated with that domain become invalid.
• **Server issues**: Temporary or permanent server issues can render links unusable.

Impact

Link rot affects various aspects of the internet:

• **Academic research**: Scholars and researchers rely on stable links for citations. Link rot can undermine the credibility and verifiability of academic work.
• **Legal documents**: Legal references and documents that contain broken links can lead to misinformation or incomplete information.
• **User experience**: Broken links can frustrate users and reduce the usability of websites.

Prevention and Mitigation

Several strategies can be employed to prevent or mitigate link rot:

• **Persistent identifiers**: Using persistent identifiers like DOIs (Digital Object Identifiers) can help maintain stable links.
• **Web archiving**: Services like the Wayback Machine archive web pages, allowing users to access historical versions of web content.
• **Regular maintenance**: Website administrators can regularly check and update links to ensure they remain functional.
• **Redirection**: Implementing proper 301 redirects can guide users from old URLs to new ones.

Related Concepts

• 404 error
• Web archiving
• Digital preservation
• Persistent identifier
• Hyperlink

See Also

• Hyperlink
• Digital preservation
• Web archiving
• 404 error
• Persistent identifier