Description
GlobalDev Broken Link Monitor is a lightweight site-maintenance plugin that checks stored links in published WordPress content, blocks, page builders, templates, widgets and navigation menus.
The scanner runs in small batches from the WordPress dashboard, helping avoid long single requests on shared hosting. External URLs are checked with WordPress safe HTTP request functions, while links to the current site are checked directly.
Features
- Scan selected public post types.
- Scan WordPress navigation menus.
- Scan Elementor elements and published templates.
- Scan WPBakery/Visual Composer shortcode buttons and link settings.
- Scan Gutenberg blocks, reusable blocks, site templates and navigation posts.
- Scan active classic and block widgets.
- Scan URL/link-oriented custom fields, including WooCommerce external product links.
- Label each report entry with its detected content source (Elementor, WPBakery, Gutenberg, Content, Widget, Menu or Custom fields).
- Detect working links, redirects, broken responses, timeouts, and restricted responses.
- Separate internal and external links.
- Show the source page or menu item for each URL.
- Open the source editor directly from the report.
- Filter results by status.
- Export the latest report to CSV.
- Optional weekly scans using WP-Cron.
- Optional email notification when a scheduled scan finds broken links or warnings.
- No third-party service and no external account required.
The plugin stores only the latest scan report in a custom database table.
Privacy
The plugin stores link URLs, source titles, source URLs, HTTP status information, and scan timestamps in the site’s WordPress database. It does not collect visitor data and does not send scan results to GlobalDev IT or another third-party service.
When a scan runs, the website server sends HTTP requests to the linked destinations. Those destinations may receive standard request information such as the server IP address and user agent.
Screenshots
Installation
- Upload the
globaldev-broken-link-monitorfolder to/wp-content/plugins/, or install the ZIP from Plugins > Add New > Upload Plugin. - Activate GlobalDev Broken Link Monitor.
- Go to Tools > Broken Link Monitor.
- Choose the public post types to scan and save the settings.
- Select Start New Scan.
FAQ
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Does the plugin send website content to an external service?
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No. The plugin performs HTTP requests from your WordPress server and does not use a third-party scanning API.
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Why does a valid URL appear as a warning?
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Some websites block automated HEAD or GET requests, require authentication, or apply rate limits. HTTP 401, 403, and 429 responses are classified as warnings to reduce false broken-link reports.
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Does the weekly scan run at an exact time?
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No. Scheduled scans use WP-Cron, which runs when the website receives traffic. Sites that disable WP-Cron should trigger
wp-cron.phpthrough a server cron job. -
Does the plugin scan Elementor or other page builder data?
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Version 0.2.2 extracts saved clickable links from Elementor JSON, WPBakery shortcode attributes and raw HTML, Gutenberg block attributes, published reusable blocks and templates, active widgets, and selected custom link fields. It does not execute dynamic tags or JavaScript, so runtime-only links are not covered.
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Are fragment links, email addresses, and telephone links checked?
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No. Fragment-only links and
mailto:,tel:,sms:,javascript:,data:, andftp:URLs are ignored.
Reviews
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Contributors & Developers
“GlobalDev Broken Link Monitor” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.
Contributors
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Interested in development?
Browse the code, check out the SVN repository, or subscribe to the development log by RSS.
Changelog
0.2.2
- Added the required translator context for the widget title placeholder to meet WordPress i18n coding standards.
0.2.1
- Added Elementor widget, nested element and template link detection.
- Added WPBakery shortcode, encoded vc_link and raw HTML detection.
- Added Gutenberg link attributes, published reusable blocks, navigation posts and site templates.
- Added active widgets and link-oriented custom fields, including external WooCommerce product links.
- Added six configurable content-source toggles to the scan settings.
- Moved external WordPress/plugin admin notices outside the branded hero header.
- Added content-source labels to the report and CSV export; existing scan history is maintained through a non-destructive table upgrade.
0.2.0
- Updated compatibility metadata for WordPress 7.1, including WordPress 7.1.3.
- Redesigned the admin report with a GlobalDev branded header and modern dashboard layout.
- Improved report filters, scan progress feedback, responsive behavior, settings controls, and accessibility labels.
- Added clearer scan metadata and disabled CSV export when no report exists.
0.1.0
- Initial release.
- Added batched manual scanning for published content and navigation menus.
- Added weekly WP-Cron scans and optional issue notifications.
- Added status filters, source links, and CSV export.