# Dead Link Checker for a URL List: 404s and Dead Domains

**Use case:** 

Paste a column of links from a spreadsheet, resource page or directory and get only the ones that need attention: 404 and 410 pages, server errors, dead domains (DNS not found), expired SSL certificates, timeouts and redirects, each with the reason and your original line. Fast status-only mode. The example checks 7 links. $1 per 1,000 URLs; links that never answer are free.

## Input

```json
{
  "urls": [
    "http://python.org",
    "https://github.com/apify/crawlee",
    "https://example.com/this-page-does-not-exist",
    "https://expired.badssl.com/"
  ],
  "urlsText": "https://www.python.org/\nhttp://python.org\nhttps://example.com/this-page-does-not-exist\nhttps://www.python.org/nothing-here/\nhttps://expired.badssl.com/\nhttps://this-domain-does-not-exist-tidytools.com/\nhttps://github.com/apify/crawlee",
  "onlyProblems": true,
  "includeHtmlSignals": false,
  "checkSsl": true,
  "sslWarnDays": 14,
  "method": "auto",
  "followRedirects": true,
  "maxRedirects": 10,
  "timeoutSecs": 20,
  "maxConcurrency": 40,
  "maxConcurrencyPerHost": 8,
  "compareWithPrevious": false,
  "onlyChanges": false
}
```

## Output

```json
{
  "inputUrl": {
    "label": "Input",
    "format": "text"
  },
  "url": {
    "label": "URL",
    "format": "link"
  },
  "statusClass": {
    "label": "Status class",
    "format": "text"
  },
  "status": {
    "label": "HTTP status",
    "format": "number"
  },
  "redirects": {
    "label": "Redirects",
    "format": "number"
  },
  "redirectPath": {
    "label": "Redirect path (status URL -> ...)",
    "format": "text"
  },
  "finalUrl": {
    "label": "Final URL",
    "format": "link"
  },
  "responseMs": {
    "label": "Response (ms)",
    "format": "number"
  },
  "error": {
    "label": "Error",
    "format": "text"
  }
}
```

## How it works

### 1. Sign up on Apify or log in

The Bulk URL Status Checker - HTTP Status & 301 Redirect Checker Actor is ready to run with the inputs already set for "Dead Link Checker for a URL List: 404s and Dead Domains". [Sign up or log in](https://console.apify.com/create-task-from-example/uVqpTTl2sEWJekLi8) and you'll land in Apify Console with a copy of this exact task.

### 2. Start the "Dead Link Checker for a URL List: 404s and Dead Domains" task

The Bulk URL Status Checker - HTTP Status & 301 Redirect Checker Actor will start running based on the input automatically. You can also change all the input fields, like URLs, paste urls as text, and more, to match your specific use case.

### 3. Receive the "Dead Link Checker for a URL List: 404s and Dead Domains" output

Monitor the progress in real time. You will be notified as soon as your dataset is complete and ready for review. Each result includes data such as input, URL, status class, and more.

### 4. Integrate into your workflow

The final output is delivered in JSON, CSV, or Excel format, ready to be plugged into your workflow. You can also [run the "Dead Link Checker for a URL List: 404s and Dead Domains" task via API](https://apify.com/tidytools/bulk-url-status-checker.md).

## About this Actor

This example demonstrates how to use [Bulk URL Status Checker - HTTP Status & 301 Redirect Checker](https://apify.com/tidytools/bulk-url-status-checker.md) with a specific input configuration. Visit the [Actor detail page](https://apify.com/tidytools/bulk-url-status-checker.md) to learn more, explore other use cases, and run it yourself.


## How to integrate an Actor?

This Task's input is already configured above. Use it as-is rather than inventing a new one.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For full API examples (JavaScript, Python, CLI, MCP, OpenAPI), see this Task's Actor page: https://apify.com/tidytools/bulk-url-status-checker.md

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).