Fixing Broken Links and Missing Pages on Your Wix Site

Broken links and missing pages can frustrate visitors and harm your site's SEO, leading to a poor user experience and lower search engine rankings. Whether a page URL has changed, a link was mistyped, or a deleted page still has active links pointing to it, these issues need to be resolved quickly.

This guide walks you through the common causes of broken links and missing pages on Wix and provides step-by-step solutions to fix them.

Common Causes of Broken Links and Missing Pages on Wix

1. Changed Page URL: If you’ve updated a page’s URL but didn’t update links pointing to it, they will break.

2. Deleted or Unpublished Pages: If a page is removed but still linked elsewhere on your site, visitors will see a 404 error.

3. External Links No Longer Exist: If you linked to another website that no longer exists or changed its URL, the link will be broken.

4. Misspelled URLs: A small typo in a hyperlink can result in a broken link.

5. Improperly Formatted Links: Incorrect formatting (e.g., missing “https://” in external links) can cause issues.

6. Navigation Menu Not Updated: If a page is removed or its URL changes but the navigation menu isn’t updated, users will get an error when clicking the link.

Step-by-Step Guide to Fixing Broken Links and Missing Pages on Wix

Step 1: Identify Broken Links and Missing Pages

Before fixing broken links, you need to find them.

Solution:

1. Use Wix’s SEO Dashboard to check for broken links.

2. Run your site through an online tool like Broken Link Checker (https://www.brokenlinkcheck.com/) to detect non-working links.

3. Manually click through your website to test important pages and links.

Step 2: Fix Internal Broken Links

Once you’ve identified broken links, fix them by updating or replacing them.

Solution:

1. Go to Wix Editor.

2. Click on the text, button, or menu where the broken link exists.

3. Click Edit Link.

4. Update the link to the correct page or a relevant alternative.

5. Click Done and Publish your changes.

Step 3: Redirect Missing Pages (301 Redirects)

If a page has been deleted or its URL has changed, create a 301 redirect so visitors are automatically sent to a new working page.

Solution:

1. Go to your Wix Dashboard.

2. Click SEO Tools > URL Redirect Manager.

3. Click New Redirect.

4. Enter the old URL (the broken link) in the Old URL field.

5. Enter the new URL (where visitors should be sent) in the New URL field.

6. Click Save and test the redirect by visiting the old URL.

Step 4: Fix Broken Navigation Menu Links

If you removed or renamed a page, the navigation menu may still link to the old URL.

Solution:

1. Open the Wix Editor.

2. Click on the Site Menu.

3. Look for any menu item with a broken or incorrect link.

4. Click the menu item and update the link to the correct page.

5. Click Publish to save your changes.

Step 5: Fix Broken External Links

If your site links to external pages that no longer exist, update or remove them.

Solution:

1. Identify broken external links using an online broken link checker.

2. Edit or remove the links in your Wix Editor by selecting the text/button and updating the URL.

3. If the original external page no longer exists, find an alternative resource to link to.

Step 6: Check for Typos and Formatting Issues

Incorrectly formatted or misspelled links can cause broken links.

Solution:

1. Go to Wix Editor.

2. Locate any non-working links.

3. Make sure URLs are spelled correctly (e.g., "https://www.example.com" instead of "htp://examplecom").

4. Add "https://" to links missing it.

5. Save and publish the updates.

Best Practices to Avoid Future Issues:

• Avoid changing URLs unnecessarily. If a URL must change, set up a 301 redirect.

• Test links before publishing. Click all internal and external links to ensure they work.

• Use consistent naming for pages. Avoid renaming pages unless necessary.

• Regularly check for broken links. Use tools like Google Search Console and Broken Link Checker to monitor your site.

  
  

Fixing broken links and missing pages on your Wix site is essential for maintaining a smooth user experience and good SEO performance. By identifying issues, updating links, setting up redirects, and following best practices, you can ensure your site remains functional and professional.

If you continue to experience issues, Wix’s support team can help resolve complex problems.