How To Find Images On Website That Are Broken
We have all been on a website and seen that sad little broken image icon. It is like going to a chippy in Manchester and hearing they have run out of chips. Proper disappointment.
Broken images make your website look tired and messy. They break trust and harm SEO. People in the UK have sharp eyes and even sharper impatience. One broken image is enough to make them click off. Cleartwo helps UK businesses keep their sites sound and clean. No broken bits. No digital guesswork. Just solid fixes.
Broken Images And Their Effects On Web Sites In The UK
A broken image is like a missing brick in a wall. One missing brick might not bother you. A whole row missing will make you think the house is about to drop.
Search engines do not like broken images either. They cannot read what the page is about. That can drop your rankings. If you want a deeper look, see our guide on website performance and structure. It explains things in a simple way.
For users, especially on mobile, broken images are a proper turn off. If you run an ecommerce site, that means fewer sales. No one is buying a jumper they cannot see. Simple as that.
Typical Causes Of Images Broken On UK Domains
Broken images do not happen for no reason. There is always a cause. Usually a small mistake along the way.
- Wrong image paths
- Deleted files
- Case sensitive URLs. WordPress loves doing this after theme or plugin updates. Our WordPress development insights explain this well.
- HTTPS migration issues. Switching to HTTPS and forgetting to change image URLs is like moving house and leaving half your stuff behind.
Using Browser Tools To Find Broken Images
It sounds techie, but it is easy. Think of it like peeking behind the curtain at Old Trafford.
Right click the page and press Inspect. Go to the Network tab. Refresh. Filter by images. Any image showing a 404 is broken. Nice and simple.
This is handy for small sites. Not great if your site is bigger than the Trafford Centre. But still useful for quick checks.
Monitoring Broken Images With UK Friendly SEO Tools
If your site is more than a few pages, doing checks by hand will drive you up the wall.
SEO tools crawl your website like Google does. They point out broken images, missing alt text, and slow-loading files. These tools feel close to business automation and AI driven solutions that save loads of time.
We use this data along with our web development audits to fix real issues, not just the obvious ones.
Finding Broken Images With Google Search Console UK
Google Search Console is like a free annual car check for your website. It works well for UK sites too.
Go to Pages or Enhancements. Watch out for any image errors. Google shows where images fail or return 404. The Google Search Console help documentation explains the reports.
It also boosts your SEO. When Google tells you something is broken, best to fix it sharpish.
Crawling UK Websites With Desktop SEO Software
Desktop crawlers are ideal for deep checks. Think of them like a sniffer dog running through your website.
They check every page, file, and image. You can filter errors, missing alt text, and file sizes. This keeps your site fast and accessible.
Cleartwo pairs this with website security reviews. Broken images sometimes point to deeper hosting or access issues.
Finding Broken Images After Migrations Or HTTPS Changes
Migrations are where most problems pop up. New server. New URLs. Old image paths not updated. It is never as smooth as people hope.
Many UK businesses forget to move their media files. Suddenly half the site looks like a puzzle with missing pieces.
That is why we always advise post migration checks. Our hosting and migration support includes image checks for this exact reason.
Monitoring Broken Images On Ecommerce Websites In The UK
Ecommerce sites suffer the most. Lots of product images. Lots of updates. One small mistake and whole pages break.
In Shopify or WooCommerce, broken images hurt trust and conversions. Even more on mobile. Clean images are a key part of ecommerce marketing and AI marketing tools because they rely on solid data.
Our guide on building high performing Shopify stores explains why image health matters.
Accessibility And Compliance Concerns For Broken Images In The UK
This is a serious one. Broken images affect accessibility. They can break compliance rules.
UK sites follow WCAG standards. Broken images and missing alt text confuse screen readers. Our WCAG accessibility services help businesses stay compliant.
Think of accessibility like step free access at your local shop. It should be there without any fuss.
- Missing alt text
- Wrong image paths
- Deleted media files
- Mixed content issues
- Server permission errors
- CDN sync issues
- Lazy loading faults
Ongoing Monitoring And Maintenance For UK Websites
Checking once is not enough. Websites change all the time. New content goes up. Old content shifts. Issues sneak back in like uninvited guests.
Regular checks are the smart move. This is key for SMEs using IT support for business and cloud CRM systems that link with their websites.
Our website maintenance packages include routine checks. Problems get fixed before users see them.
Think about it like your car. Skip services and things will start to fall apart later. Expensive things.
FAQs
Do Broken Images Affect SEO In The UK?
Yes. They reduce crawl quality and harm user experience. That can lower your rankings.
Can Broken Images Affect Accessibility Compliance?
Yes. Missing images and poor alt text can break WCAG rules.
How Often Should I Check For Broken Images?
Monthly for small sites. Weekly for ecommerce or content heavy sites.
Are Broken Images Common After HTTPS Migration?
Yes. Old image URLs often remain unchanged.
Can Cleartwo Fix Broken Images For Me?
Of course. Cleartwo handles detection, fixes, and ongoing monitoring so you do not have to.
