Free Email Link Checker

Validate all links in your emails, check for broken URLs, detect redirects, and ensure links aren't on spam blacklists.

Link Checker

Validate all links in your email HTML or paste a list of URLs to check

How Link Quality Impacts Email Deliverability

Email providers actively scan and test links in your messages. Link quality is a critical signal that affects inbox placement, sender reputation, and engagement rates.

Broken Links Trigger Spam Filters

Multiple 404 errors signal low-quality content. Providers like Gmail and Yahoo use link validation as a spam indicator - even a few broken links can hurt deliverability.

Redirect Chains Hurt Engagement

Long redirect chains (3+ hops) increase load times and confuse tracking. Some providers flag excessive redirects as suspicious behavior or cloaking attempts.

Slow Response Times Impact Placement

Links that take more than 2 seconds to respond hurt user experience metrics. Providers may lower engagement predictions for emails with consistently slow links.

HTTP Links Reduce Trust Signals

Non-HTTPS links are flagged as security risks. Modern email clients warn users about insecure links, reducing click-through rates and damaging sender reputation.

Blacklisted Domains Get Blocked

Links to domains on spam blacklists cause immediate deliverability problems. Even legitimate emails are rejected or sent to spam if they link to flagged domains.

URL Shorteners Need Verification

Generic shorteners (bit.ly, tinyurl) are often used in spam. Use custom domains for shorteners and ensure the destination URLs are clean and functional.

Link Checking Best Practices

Follow these best practices to ensure your email links support deliverability and provide the best user experience.

Test All Links Before Every Send

Always validate links immediately before sending campaigns. Links can break between tests and sends due to website changes, expired certificates, or server issues.

Use HTTPS for All Links

Every link in your emails should use HTTPS protocol. Non-secure HTTP links trigger browser warnings, reduce trust, and negatively impact engagement metrics.

Keep Redirect Chains Under 2 Hops

Minimize redirects to improve load times and avoid provider suspicion. Each redirect adds latency and increases the chance of broken chains or timeouts.

Monitor Link Response Times

Target response times under 1 second for all links. Slow servers hurt user experience and engagement metrics that providers use to evaluate email quality.

Check Links Against Blacklists

Verify that your destination domains aren't on spam blacklists. Even linking to a newly-flagged partner site can cause your emails to be blocked or filtered.

Use Branded Custom Domains for Tracking

Replace generic shorteners with custom-branded domains (track.yourdomain.com). This builds trust, avoids spam flags, and maintains consistent branding.

Implement Link Health Monitoring

Set up automated monitoring to catch broken links quickly. Many links break after sending due to website updates, expired domains, or configuration changes.

Common Link Validation Mistakes

Avoid these frequent errors that damage deliverability and user experience.

Not testing links before major campaigns

Links break frequently - always validate immediately before sending. A single broken unsubscribe link can cause spam complaints and deliverability issues.

Using HTTP instead of HTTPS

All email links must use HTTPS. Modern browsers and email clients flag HTTP links as unsafe, hurting click rates and sender reputation.

Excessive redirect chains (3+ hops)

Long redirect chains slow load times and trigger spam filters. Some providers interpret multiple redirects as cloaking or malicious behavior.

Linking to slow or overloaded servers

Links that timeout or take more than 2 seconds hurt engagement metrics. Providers track destination performance as a quality signal.

Not checking for blacklisted destinations

Linking to domains on spam blacklists causes immediate filtering. Regularly verify all destination domains against major blacklists.

Ignoring SSL certificate expiration

Expired SSL certificates break HTTPS links and trigger browser warnings. Monitor certificate expiration dates for all linked domains.

Using generic URL shorteners at scale

Services like bit.ly and tinyurl are heavily abused by spammers. Use custom-branded link shorteners with your own domain for better deliverability.