Internet Archive Fights Broken Links on WordPress

The Internet Archive, dedicated to preserving digital content, has launched a new tool to help WordPress users combat "link rot." This phenomenon causes online articles to feature broken links, leading to dead ends for readers.

A recent study indicated that a significant percentage of web links become inactive over time, affecting various types of webpages.

In collaboration with Automattic, the creators of WordPress, the Wayback Machine has introduced the Link Fixer plugin. This innovative tool scans WordPress posts for outbound links and cross-references them with the Wayback Machine's extensive archives.

If an archived version of a linked page is not found, the plugin automatically creates a new snapshot. When a linked webpage becomes inaccessible, the plugin seamlessly redirects readers to the archived copy, thereby preventing service interruptions and ensuring content longevity. The tool also archives a user's own posts.

Furthermore, the Link Fixer plugin continuously monitors a site's links. If an original link that had gone offline is later restored, the plugin will automatically revert to redirecting users to the live version. Users can customize settings, such as the frequency of link validity scans, with a default setting of every three days.