# Broken Link Crawler (`pattonholdings/broken-link-crawler`) Actor Crawl a site, find every broken link, return one row per broken link with full referrer trail. Fetch-only (no headless browser) for speed and predictable cost. Configurable depth + external link inclusion. - **URL**: https://apify.com/pattonholdings/broken-link-crawler.md - **Developed by:** [Coleton Patton](https://apify.com/pattonholdings) (community) - **Categories:** Developer tools - **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks - **User rating**: No ratings yet ## Pricing Pay per usage This Actor is paid per platform usage. The Actor is free to use, and you only pay for the Apify platform usage, which gets cheaper the higher subscription plan you have. Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-usage ## What's an Apify Actor? Actors are a software tools running on the Apify platform, for all kinds of web data extraction and automation use cases. In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours, and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store. In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server. Actors are written with capital "A". ## How to integrate an Actor? If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects. You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready. The best way to integrate Actors is as follows. In JavaScript/TypeScript projects, use official [JavaScript/TypeScript client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js.md): ```bash npm install apify-client ``` In Python projects, use official [Python client library](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python.md): ```bash pip install apify-client ``` In shell scripts, use [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): ````bash # MacOS / Linux curl -fsSL https://apify.com/install-cli.sh | bash # Windows irm https://apify.com/install-cli.ps1 | iex ```bash In AI frameworks, you might use the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/mcp.md). If your project is in a different language, use the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md). For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below. For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt). # README ## Broken Link Crawler Crawl any site, find every broken link, get a CSV with each broken URL + the pages that link to it. Fetch-only (no headless browser) for speed and predictable cost. ### What it does 1. Starts from a single URL 2. Walks same-origin pages up to your `maxPages` cap (default 25) 3. Extracts every `` from each page 4. HEAD-checks every link; GET-fallback if HEAD fails 5. Returns one summary row + one row per broken link with HTTP status + up to 10 referring pages ### Input ```json { "url": "https://example.com", "maxPages": 25, "includeExternal": true } ```` ### Output Summary row: ```json { "type": "summary", "startUrl": "https://example.com", "pagesCrawled": 24, "linksChecked": 487, "brokenCount": 12, "redirectCount": 31, "okCount": 444 } ``` Per-broken-link rows: ```json { "type": "broken-link", "href": "https://example.com/old-page", "status": 404, "isExternal": false, "referrers": ["https://example.com/", "https://example.com/blog/post"] } ``` Pipe straight to CSV in Apify Console — perfect for QA reports + client deliverables. ### Use cases - **Pre-launch QA** — catch broken nav before going live - **CMS migration recovery** — find every dead internal link after a Wordpress → Webflow move - **SEO health checks** — broken internal links waste crawl budget - **Client deliverables for SEO agencies** — auto-generate broken-link reports for monthly retainers - **Continuous monitoring** — schedule weekly, alert on `brokenCount > N` ### Pricing Pay-per-result: **$0.05/run.** A typical 25-page crawl with 500 links checked takes ~1-2 min. ### Author Built by [Peak Post](https://peakpost.ca). Part of the SEO Audit Suite. # Actor input Schema ## `url` (type: `string`): The URL to start crawling from. Same-origin pages will be discovered + crawled. ## `maxPages` (type: `integer`): How many pages of the site to discover links from (default 25, max 500). ## `maxLinksPerPage` (type: `integer`): Cap how many links to extract from each page (default 200, max 1000). ## `includeExternal` (type: `boolean`): If true, links to other domains are also checked (but not crawled). Defaults to true. ## Actor input object example ```json { "url": "https://example.com", "maxPages": 25, "maxLinksPerPage": 200, "includeExternal": true } ``` # API You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup. ## JavaScript example ```javascript import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client'; // Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token // Replace the '' with your token const client = new ApifyClient({ token: '', }); // Prepare Actor input const input = { "url": "https://example.com" }; // Run the Actor and wait for it to finish const run = await client.actor("pattonholdings/broken-link-crawler").call(input); // Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any) console.log('Results from dataset'); console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`); const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems(); items.forEach((item) => { console.dir(item); }); // 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs ``` ## Python example ```python from apify_client import ApifyClient # Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token # Replace '' with your token. client = ApifyClient("") # Prepare the Actor input run_input = { "url": "https://example.com" } # Run the Actor and wait for it to finish run = client.actor("pattonholdings/broken-link-crawler").call(run_input=run_input) # Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any) print("💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/" + run["defaultDatasetId"]) for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items(): print(item) # 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start ``` ## CLI example ```bash echo '{ "url": "https://example.com" }' | apify call pattonholdings/broken-link-crawler --silent --output-dataset ``` ## MCP server setup ```json { "mcpServers": { "apify": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=pattonholdings/broken-link-crawler", "--header", "Authorization: Bearer " ] } } } ``` ## OpenAPI specification ```json { "openapi": "3.0.1", "info": { "title": "Broken Link Crawler", "description": "Crawl a site, find every broken link, return one row per broken link with full referrer trail. Fetch-only (no headless browser) for speed and predictable cost. Configurable depth + external link inclusion.", "version": "1.0", "x-build-id": "kSAQRfUW15cXOu3VY" }, "servers": [ { "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2" } ], "paths": { "/acts/pattonholdings~broken-link-crawler/run-sync-get-dataset-items": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-pattonholdings-broken-link-crawler", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for its completion, and returns Actor's dataset items in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } }, "/acts/pattonholdings~broken-link-crawler/runs": { "post": { "operationId": "runs-sync-pattonholdings-broken-link-crawler", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor and returns information about the initiated run in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK", "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/runsResponseSchema" } } } } } } }, "/acts/pattonholdings~broken-link-crawler/run-sync": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-pattonholdings-broken-link-crawler", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for completion, and returns the OUTPUT from Key-value store in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } } }, "components": { "schemas": { "inputSchema": { "type": "object", "properties": { "url": { "title": "Start URL", "type": "string", "description": "The URL to start crawling from. Same-origin pages will be discovered + crawled." }, "maxPages": { "title": "Max pages to crawl", "minimum": 1, "maximum": 500, "type": "integer", "description": "How many pages of the site to discover links from (default 25, max 500).", "default": 25 }, "maxLinksPerPage": { "title": "Max links per page", "minimum": 1, "maximum": 1000, "type": "integer", "description": "Cap how many links to extract from each page (default 200, max 1000).", "default": 200 }, "includeExternal": { "title": "Check external links too", "type": "boolean", "description": "If true, links to other domains are also checked (but not crawled). Defaults to true.", "default": true } } }, "runsResponseSchema": { "type": "object", "properties": { "data": { "type": "object", "properties": { "id": { "type": "string" }, "actId": { "type": "string" }, "userId": { "type": "string" }, "startedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "finishedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "status": { "type": "string", "example": "READY" }, "meta": { "type": "object", "properties": { "origin": { "type": "string", "example": "API" }, "userAgent": { "type": "string" } } }, "stats": { "type": "object", "properties": { "inputBodyLen": { "type": "integer", "example": 2000 }, "rebootCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "restartCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "resurrectCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "computeUnits": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "options": { "type": "object", "properties": { "build": { "type": "string", "example": "latest" }, "timeoutSecs": { "type": "integer", "example": 300 }, "memoryMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 1024 }, "diskMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 2048 } } }, "buildId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultKeyValueStoreId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultDatasetId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultRequestQueueId": { "type": "string" }, "buildNumber": { "type": "string", "example": "1.0.0" }, "containerUrl": { "type": "string" }, "usage": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 1 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "usageTotalUsd": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "usageUsd": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } } } } } } } } } ```