Link Analyzer: Audit Every Link on a Page
Enter a URL to see every internal and external link with its anchor text and rel attributes, plus empty anchors and duplicates.
Links are how search engines discover pages and how they learn what those pages are about. The anchor text of an internal link describes its target, a nofollow or sponsored attribute changes how a link is treated, and an icon link with no text tells nobody anything.
This link analyzer lists every link on a page, split into internal and external, with its anchor text and rel attributes (nofollow, sponsored, ugc). It flags empty anchors and duplicate links and gives you the counts, so you can tidy internal linking and outbound links in one view.
How to analyze the links on a page
Enter a page URL
We read the page’s HTML and collect its links with their anchors and attributes.
Review internal and external links
Check internal links for anchor quality and external links for the right rel values.
Fix the flagged links
Add text to empty anchors, remove pointless duplicates and correct rel attributes in your CMS.
What makes a link crawlable
Google reliably follows links only when they are real anchor elements with an href, as its link best practices explain:
<!-- Crawlable -->
<a href="/guides/trail-shoes">Trail shoe buying guide</a>
<!-- Not reliably crawlable -->
<span onclick="goTo('/guides/trail-shoes')">Guide</span>
<a onclick="goTo('/guides/trail-shoes')">Guide</a>If a menu item you expected is missing from the report, check whether it is a real <a href> link or a script-driven element. Links that only exist after JavaScript runs are another blind spot, because crawlers see them later, if at all.
Anchor text: the label search engines read
Anchor text tells users and search engines what to expect at the other end. Good anchors are short, specific and natural:
| Weak | Better |
|---|---|
| Click here | See our trail shoe sizing chart |
| Read more | Read more about waterproof membranes |
| An icon with no text | An icon with a text label, or an image with a descriptive alt |
| best cheap trail shoes 2026 buy | Budget trail shoes we tested |
For image links, Google uses the image’s alt text as the anchor text, so an icon link with an empty alt is effectively an empty anchor. Internal anchors don’t need to match a keyword exactly; describe the target the way a reader would. See anchor text and internal linking for more.
nofollow, sponsored and ugc
Google added sponsored and ugc alongside nofollow in 2019 and treats all three as hints rather than strict commands. Its guide to qualifying outbound links says when to use each:
rel="sponsored"for paid links, affiliate links and other compensated placements.rel="ugc"for links in user-generated content such as comments and forum posts.rel="nofollow"for other links you don’t want to vouch for.
Values can be combined, as in rel="ugc nofollow". Don’t nofollow your own internal links: it doesn’t “save” PageRank for other links, and it can slow the discovery of your pages. Paid links without sponsored or nofollow can break Google’s spam policies.
Reading the counts
The totals tell a story once you know what to look for:
- Few internal links outside the menu. The page relies on navigation for its connections. Add contextual links to related guides, categories or products where they genuinely help the reader.
- Hundreds of links, mostly navigation. Mega-menus and tag clouds can dwarf the links in the body. Trim them so the important links stand out.
- Many external links without rel values on a page with ads or affiliate offers. Check which are paid and mark them.
- Duplicates. Repeated links in menus and footers are normal; five body links to the same target usually mean clutter.
To test whether the targets actually work, run the broken link checker.
Tips for better links
- Link from your strongest pages to the pages you most want to rank, with anchors that describe the target.
- Replace “click here” and “read more” with words that say where the link goes.
- Mark affiliate and paid links as sponsored, including on old posts — this report makes them easy to find.
- Point links straight at final URLs rather than at addresses that redirect.
- Keep footers lean; dozens of sitewide links bury the ones that matter.
Limits to keep in mind
The link analyzer covers one page and reads its server HTML, so links injected by JavaScript won’t appear, and it doesn’t test whether targets work. It also can’t see who links to you from other sites; backlinks need a crawl of the whole web, and Search Console’s Links report shows them for your own site. To find orphan pages and sitewide link problems, run a website SEO audit.
Last updated Oct 30, 2026 by the Yes SEO team.
Link Analyzer: frequently asked questions
What does a link analyzer check?
It lists every link on a page, separates internal from external links, shows each one’s anchor text and rel attributes, and flags empty anchors and duplicates. Use it to tidy internal linking and to make sure paid or user-generated links carry the right rel values.
How many links per page is too many?
There is no fixed limit. Ask whether each link helps a reader; a page where hundreds of links bury the important ones is harder to use and spreads link signals thin.
Should external links be nofollow?
Not by default. Linking to helpful sources is normal and good for readers. Use sponsored for paid or affiliate links, ugc for user content and nofollow when you don’t want to vouch for a site.
What is an empty anchor?
A link with no readable text, such as an icon or an image without alt text. Search engines and screen readers get no clue about the destination, so add visible text or a descriptive alt.
Does the link analyzer find broken links?
No, it maps links and their attributes. To test each link for 404s, server errors and redirects, use our broken link checker, which tests up to 200 links per page.