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Troubleshooting broken links
by Erica Schaapveld

Look at all of the ISTE technology standards you meet by knowing how to fix broken links!

I. Technology operations and concepts.

Click here for a detailed description.

hether you are creating your own Web site or simply visiting one, broken links cause frustration. However, by taking time to examine the faulty URL and following five easy steps, you will be able to troubleshoot broken links.

Understanding a URL

A URL, which stands for "uniform resource locator," is a standard way of specifying the location of a Web page on the Internet. URLs, also referred to as Web addresses, are often used in Web pages to specify the target of a hyperlink, which is often another Web site.

In order to fix broken links, you must first understand the makeup of a URL. The URL below is defined piece by piece:

http://www.mathmatters.net/math7.htm

http: - This signifies the scheme or protocol. These are sets of rules that describe how data is transmitted.

// - This signifies an introduction to the sitename.

www.mathmatters.net - This signifies the sitename, which is a unique name that identifies a certain computer on a network.

/math7 - This signifies the path name, which names a specific file in the directory.

.htm - This is the extension, which tells what type of data the file contains.

Steps to take

hen you first encounter a broken link, follow these troubleshooting steps:

1. Check your extensions
2. Make sure there are no spaces
3. Look for typos
4. Do not oversimplify
5. Start dissecting
   

Step 1: Check your extensions

he first step is to make sure that you have used the correct extension in the address. Extensions are file types added to the end of the URL to signify what type of data they contain. All data files use extensions, which are separated from the file name with a dot. There are three variant extensions at the end of URLs: .html, .htm, and .shtml.

Web pages require one specific extension to be used. Notice in the example below that each URL ends in a different extension. Click on these links, a new window will appear. Now take a moment and try changing the extensions. For instance, change .html to .htm, .htm to .shtml, and so on.

http://www.toonuniversity.com/

http://www.mathmatters.net/math7.htm

http://www.4kids.org/backissues/q199.shtml

Did you notice that every time you tried an extension other than the one given the link automatically broke?

Step 2: Make sure there are no spaces

he next step to take when trying to mend a broken link is to make sure that there are no spaces in the URL. If a URL has a space in it, the link will be broken.

Try clicking on our example links below to see what happens when spaces are included in the URL:

http://www.toonuniversity.com/   new.html

http://www.math   matters.net/math7.htm

http://   www.4kids.org/backissues/q199.shtml

Did you notice that some of the links added "%20" where the spaces were? Others may even work as far as reaching the correct Web site, but the exact Web page does not appear. If there is a space in any part of the URL after the site name, the correct Web site could still appear, but an alert informs you that the Web page you are looking for does not exist.

Step 3: Look for typos

ven the smallest errors in typing cause links to break. Therefore, always check the spelling of the URLs. Some of the most common cases are listed below:

Step 4: Do not oversimplify

rying to take short cuts when writing the link most often results in its breakage. Never try to oversimplify a URL by leaving off important pieces. The two most widely forgotten parts of a URL are http:// and www.

Some computer preferences are set so that typing http:// before a URL is not necessary. However, remember that not all computers are like this, and when it comes to links, it is best to include the protocol.

Certain Web sites do not require the www. piece of the site name, but others do. Not including the www. or even adding www. to a URL causes links to break. Click on the links below to see an example of what may happen:

http://www.toonuniversity.com/

http://toonuniversity.com/new.html

Step 5: Start dissecting

f, after performing the above steps, the link still remains broken, then it is time to start dissecting the URL. To dissect the failing link, start at the extension and move backwards stopping at each slash. Below is an example of how this is done:

http://www.4kids.org/pastissues/abc.shtml

If this link is broken remove /abc.shtml in the address window of your browser and select Enter or Return on your keyboard.

http://www.4kids.org/pastissues/

If this link is still broken, remove /pastissues, and select Enter or Return on your keyboard.

http://www.4kids.org

If you reach the site name, and the link now works, look for a search option to find the Web page you were originally looking for. If you reach the site name and the link is still broken, it may mean that the domain name has changed and the Web site you were trying to link to no longer exists.

Hint to follow

ny time you add a URL to a document or Web page, use your copy and paste functions. Do this by opening your Internet browser, for instance Internet Explorer or Netscape Communicator. Once you have reached the Web site you would like to link to highlight the URL in your address bar and select Copy from your Edit menu. Make sure that you have highlighted the whole URL. Finally go back to your document or Web page, place your cursor where you would like the URL to be listed, and select Paste from the Edit menu to place the URL.

When frustrations arise, remember just because a link is broken doesn’t mean that you can’t fix it. Follow these five easy steps whenever you encounter a failed URL, and remember, when creating your own links, always use the copy and paste options to insure it is correct.