Check your course for broken links and the Validate links option

You can check these links using the course link validator, which searches through course content and returns invalid or unresponsive course content links in both published and unpublished content. However, please note that some links flagged as unresponsive are inaccessible by Canvas servers and will still work for students.

The link validator also includes deleted links. Deleted links are links that are still in the course, but their linked content has been deleted (such as a course file or page).

1. In Course Navigation, click the Settings link.

2. Open Validation Link on the right hand side menu.

3. Click the Start Link Validation button.

4. If any links are found in the course, Canvas displays the number of links.
5. Followed by the name of the content item and the content’s associated invalid link(s).

6. By default, the Show links to unpublished content checkbox is selected.
7. The page will display any broken links in unpublished content if there is any present in this area.

View Broken Link Details

8. The validator displays broken links and images by item type.  
9. Broken content is identified as either a link or an image.

Note: Course Cards are a supported object type. Any deleted course image added from Unsplash displays as an invalid image.

10. Once any issues have been checked and corrected, you can go back to the Course Link Validator and click on the Restart Link Validation button to check that links are now working.

How to check your course for broken links and how to use the validate links option

To repair broken URL links in Canvas:

Navigate to Page with the broken link.

1. Click Edit.
2. Highlight the hyperlinked text.
3. Click Remove Link.
4. Copy the URL.
5. Click Link to URL.
6. Paste the URL.
7. Click Update Link.
8. Click Save or “Save & Publish.

Updating or Repairing File Links in Canvas:

Navigate to the Page or resource with the broken link.

         1. Click Edit.

         2. Highlight the hyperlinked text.

         3. Click Remove Link.

         4. Use the pane on the right-hand side to select the files.

         5. Click Save or “Save & Publish.

What is the difference between a broken link and a dead link?

• Broken Link: A broken link refers to any clickable text that should take you to a document, image or web-page, that actually in “Page Not Found”, a time out or any other type of error.
• Dead Link: A hyperlink on a website that points to a Web page that has been deleted or moved.