Wayback Machine Releases WordPress Plugin to Repair Broken Links
The Internet Archive has introduced a new WordPress plugin called Link Fixer which Automattic developed as a collaborative effort. This tool is designed to combat "link rot" which happens when hyperlinks from older articles stop functioning. According to data from Pew Research approximately 40% of links that were active in 2013 now remain inactive which affects news sites and government resources as well as social media references.
The plugin automatically discovers and fixes dead links that exist within a website's content. The system operates through multiple automated procedures.
- Automated Scanning The plugin scans articles to identify non functional links. The system runs this check every three days by default which users can modify through the settings.
- Archive Redirection The plugin uses the Wayback Machine to locate a stored version whenever it encounters a broken link. Readers are then redirected to the archived copy instead of a 404 error page.
- Dynamic Updates The plugin detects when a website comes back online and restores its original link.
- On Demand Archiving The plugin has the capability to activate Wayback Machine archiving whenever it detects a missing archived link. It also archives the site's own new articles to prevent future loss of content.
The Link Fixer plugin maintains website integrity by fixing broken outbound links which helps search rankings according to technical SEO standards. The system guarantees that users will find accessible references and citations to original sources even when those sources undergo relocation or complete removal.
WordPress users can now access the Link Fixer plugin as their current solution. It functions as a maintenance solution for websites that manage extensive archives and depend on external sources from government and news materials.
