Link Verdict Link Verdict by Snagbane
Free WordPress plugin

Most broken-link checkers panic at a firewall. This one doesn't.

Link Verdict tells a real 404 apart from a page that's just blocked by Cloudflare, Akamai, or a bot-protection challenge — instead of calling both "broken" and sending you on a wild goose chase.

Free forever for up to 50 links · No credit card to install

partner-shop.example.com/summer-saleBroken
cdn-assets.example.org/whitepaper.pdfBlocked, likely fine
docs.example.com/getting-startedOK
status.example.com/incidentsNeeds re-check

Every link gets a real verdict, not just a status code.

If a link you pointed to is protected by Cloudflare, Akamai, Incapsula, PerimeterX, DataDome, or Sucuri, those firewalls often reject an automated checker with a 403, 503, or a "checking your browser" page — and most plugins report that as broken, even though a real visitor gets the page just fine. Link Verdict tells the two apart.

Broken

The page is actually gone — a genuine 404/410, or the domain no longer resolves.

Blocked, likely fine

The request was rejected by a firewall or bot-protection service, not because the page is gone.

Needs re-check

A timeout, server error, or SSL issue worth trying again before calling it either way.

OK

Responded normally, including redirects that land somewhere that still works.

See it in action

The actual admin screen — nothing staged, this is what you get.

Link Verdict admin screen showing all tracked links with their verdicts

The main screen: broken, blocked, and working links at a glance, with a live link-health score.

Link Verdict admin screen filtered to blocked links

Filtered to "Blocked (not broken)" — the exact links that would've been false alarms anywhere else.

Runs quietly in the background — never slows your site down

01

Scans your content

Link Verdict scans your published posts and pages for links, including ones rendered by page builders and dynamic blocks.

02

Checks a few at a time

Every link is checked in the background on WordPress's own cron — never inline while a page loads, so it never slows your site down.

03

Shows what needs you

The admin screen surfaces what actually needs attention first, with one-click re-checks and bulk actions for cleaning up a whole list at once.

Free vs. paid

The full verdict engine — including firewall/bot-protection detection — is in the free version. Not held back for a paid tier.

✓  7-day money-back guarantee on every paid plan, no questions asked.

Free

For most sites
  • ✓  Up to 50 tracked links
  • ✓  Weekly re-check cadence
  • ✓  Full verdict engine (Broken / Blocked / Needs re-check / OK)
  • ✓  Background checks, one-click re-check, bulk actions

Pro

Single site
  • ✓  No link cap
  • ✓  Daily re-check cadence
  • ✓  One-click CSV export of your full link report
  • ✓  Email alerts the moment a link goes broken
  • ✓  "Find a fix" — replace a dead link everywhere on your site in one click
Buy Pro Requires the free plugin — download it first

Agency

Up to 20 sites
  • ✓  Everything in Pro
  • ✓  One license covers up to 20 sites — built for client work
Buy Agency Requires the free plugin — download it first

Exact pricing and site counts are shown at checkout. 7-day money-back guarantee on every paid plan.

Why this exists

Every other broken-link checker we tried treated a firewall's "go away" the same as an actual dead page — which meant every report was half false alarms. Link Verdict is our attempt to fix that one specific, annoying problem properly: tell you what's actually broken, and what just looks that way to a bot.

It's a small, focused tool. If it saves you from chasing a link that was never actually broken, it's done its job.

— Snagbane

How to install it

No FTP, no command line — this is the same way you'd install any WordPress plugin. Everyone starts with the free plugin below, even if you've already bought Pro — Pro is a small add-on that sits on top of it, not a replacement.

01

Download the free plugin

Use the "Download directly" button below — it's the free plugin's .zip file, ready to install. Required first, whether or not you're getting Pro.

02

Upload it

In your WordPress admin, go to Plugins → Add New Plugin → Upload Plugin, then choose the .zip you downloaded.

The WordPress 'Upload Plugin' screen with a Choose File button and Install Now button
03

Install & activate

Click Install Now, then Activate Plugin once it finishes. It'll show up in your Plugins list, active and ready.

Snagbane - Link Verdict listed as active in the WordPress Plugins screen
04

Open Link Verdict

A new Link Verdict item appears in your admin sidebar. Your first scan starts automatically within about 10 seconds.

The Link Verdict dashboard showing broken, blocked, and working links at a glance
05

Bought Pro? Add it on top

Right after checkout, Freemius emails you the Pro .zip and a license key. Upload & activate the Pro plugin the same way as above (steps 02–03) — it'll then show an "Activate License" box. Paste the key from that email in and you're done.

Link Verdict showing a notice that the Pro license isn't active yet, until you activate it

This is what you'll see if Pro is installed before you activate your license — paste your key in and it clears, unlocking Pro.

Requires WordPress 5.8+ and PHP 7.4+. If your host blocks direct .zip uploads, ask them to raise the upload_max_filesize limit — the file is well under 2 MB.

Activation only needs that license key pasted in — nothing is tied to your email automatically. Lost the email? Recover your key anytime from the Freemius Customer Portal.

Get real verdicts on your links

Free to install, free for up to 50 links, no credit card required.

Also submitted to WordPress.org — pending review, link added here once it's live.