PDF Link Checker
Make sure the links in your PDF still work. The checker reads every web link in the document – clickable links and, optionally, addresses written in the text – and tests each one, reporting which work, which redirect elsewhere, which are broken and which servers would not let us check them. The PDF stays on your device; only the list of addresses is sent for testing.
- Encrypted connection
- No sign-up
- Free to use
Only the list of web addresses (up to 100) is sent to our server to test them; the PDF itself stays on your device. Addresses on private networks are never contacted.
How to use PDF Link Checker
- Drop a PDF onto the page.
- Choose whether to include text addresses.
- Click “Check links”.
- Fix or update the broken links in your source document.
PDF Link Checker features
Real requests
Each address is requested and its status recorded.
Redirect detection
Shows where moved pages lead now.
Clear states
Working, redirected, broken or not verifiable.
Pages listed
Where each link appears in the document.
Private
Only addresses are sent, never the PDF.
Safe
Private-network addresses are never contacted.
When to use PDF Link Checker
- Checking reports and e-books before publishing.
- Maintaining manuals and course materials.
- Auditing old documents for link rot.
- Verifying references in theses.
PDF Link Checker FAQ
Is my PDF uploaded?
No. Links are extracted in your browser. Only the list of web addresses (up to 100) is sent to our server so they can be tested.
What counts as broken?
Pages that answer 404 Not Found or 410 Gone, server errors (5xx), and addresses whose domain does not exist or refuses connections.
What does “Unclear” mean?
The server blocked automated requests (for example 403 or 429) or did not answer in time. Open those links in a browser to confirm.
Are internal links checked?
No. Only web addresses are tested; internal links point inside the document.
Why are some addresses not contacted?
Addresses on private networks or localhost are refused for security and reported as broken.
How many links can be checked?
Up to 100 different addresses per file.
Link rot in PDF documents
Links decay. Pages move, sites are redesigned, domains expire. Studies of academic and government documents regularly find that a large share of links stop working within a few years. PDFs are especially affected because they are rarely updated once published.
The checker first extracts the links locally with PDF.js, exactly like the PDF Link Extractor. It then sends only the list of web addresses to our server, which requests each one with a lightweight HEAD request, retrying with GET where servers refuse HEAD, and follows up to five redirects.
Every request goes through the same network guard as our other website tools: addresses that resolve to private or local networks are refused, redirects are re-validated, and time and size limits apply, so the checker cannot be used to probe internal systems.
Results are sorted with problems first. A redirect is not an error, but updating the link to its final address avoids future breakage when the old address stops redirecting.