=== 404Zen – Broken Link Fixer & Monitor ===
Contributors: sslzen
Tags: broken link checker, broken links, link checker, 404 monitor, dead links
Requires at least: 5.8
Tested up to: 7.0
Requires PHP: 7.2
Stable tag: 1.1.2
License: GPLv2 or later
License URI: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html

Broken link checker that finds and fixes 404s, dead links, broken images and redirect chains — fast, private, and light on your server.

== Description ==

## The broken link checker that grades your whole site

404Zen is a fast, private **broken link checker** for WordPress. It scans every post, page, image and menu for broken links, **404 errors**, dead links, missing images and redirect chains — entirely on your own server, with no cloud and no account — then distills it all into a single **Link Health Grade (A–F)** so you know exactly where your site stands.

Broken links quietly cost you visitors and tell Google your content is decaying. 404Zen lets you **fix them in one click** — edit the URL, unlink it, or dismiss a false positive — without ever leaving WordPress. Your first scan starts automatically the moment you activate. No setup wizard. No limits.

### Why site owners choose 404Zen

**A grade, not a data dump.** One letter tells you instantly whether your links are helping or hurting your SEO, and the dashboard shows exactly what to fix first.

**Everything runs on your server.** Your URLs never leave your site — no third-party scanning service, no account, private by design.

**Unlimited scanning, free forever.** No monthly credits, no metering, no "250 links per month" ceiling.

**Fixes, not just reports.** Edit a URL, unlink it, or dismiss a false positive right from the results table — you never have to open the post editor.

**Gentle on your server.** Checks run in small background batches with load-aware pausing, tuned for shared hosting rather than just big VPS boxes.

### What 404Zen finds

Broken internal and external links (404s), dead links, missing images, redirect chains and loops, timeouts, and DNS failures — all flagged and grouped so you can act on them fast.

### Your Link Health Checklist

A guided checklist walks you from your first scan to a clean, protected site — right down to confirming you're serving HTTPS. Reach 100% and your visitors stop hitting dead ends.

### 404Zen Pro — set it and forget it

Upgrade when you're ready for **one-click auto-redirects** that send visitors from broken URLs straight to the right page, plus **CSV exports** and **multisite** management. One license, one flat price, with a **lifetime option available** — no per-link nickel-and-diming, and a 14-day money-back guarantee.

Built by **Zen Plugins** — the team behind SSL Zen (★4.9, 1M+ downloads). Focused plugins. Zero bloat.

== External services ==

404Zen checks links on your own server via the WordPress HTTP API. The only outbound requests are: (1) to the URLs in your own content, to test whether they work — no personal data, just the URL being checked and a User-Agent identifying the plugin and your site; (2) to Freemius, only if you open the Pro upgrade, checkout or license screens (bundled SDK, anonymous mode) — see the [Freemius Privacy Policy](https://freemius.com/privacy/); and (3) to Zen Plugins (`https://zenplugins.org/subscribe.php`), only if you tick the optional product-updates opt-in, which sends just the email address you enter — see the [Zen Plugins privacy policy](https://zenplugins.org/privacy/). Nothing else ever leaves your site.

== Installation ==

1. Install and activate 404Zen through the Plugins screen, or upload the ZIP via Plugins → Add New → Upload.
2. The first scan starts automatically in the background within a few minutes.
3. Visit **404Zen** in your admin menu to see results, or click **Scan now** to start immediately.
4. Adjust scan frequency, batch size, exclusions and the email digest under **404Zen → Settings**.

== Frequently Asked Questions ==

= What makes 404Zen different from other broken link checkers? =

Three things: it runs entirely on your own server (your URLs never leave your site), scanning is unlimited and free with no monthly credits, and it doesn't just report broken links — it grades your whole site A–F and lets you fix links in one click without opening the editor.

= Does 404Zen keep monitoring for new broken links? =

Yes. Set it to scan hourly, twice daily, daily or weekly and it works as an ongoing 404 monitor — re-checking your site on schedule and updating your Link Health Grade, so new broken links surface on their own instead of waiting for you to look.

= Does 404Zen send my data to a third-party service? =

No. There is no account to create and no scanning service — all link checking runs on your own server using the WordPress HTTP API, and your URLs never leave your site. Two optional exceptions send data only when you act: the bundled Freemius SDK (Pro licensing/checkout) sends nothing unless you open the upgrade, checkout or license screens, and the product-updates opt-in sends your email only if you explicitly tick it. See the External services section for full details.

= Will it slow down my site? =

No. Checks run in small background batches via WP-Cron, pause between requests, and stop after a short time budget. 404Zen also watches your server's load average and skips its run entirely while the server is busy.

= What counts as a broken link? =

HTTP status 400 and above (404, 410, 500, …), connection failures, DNS errors and timeouts. Links that pass through two or more redirects are flagged separately as redirect chains.

= Does it check images? =

Yes. Image sources (`<img src>`) are checked the same way as links. You can turn this off in Settings.

= Can I exclude certain URLs or post types? =

Yes. Settings lets you exclude any post type and any URL pattern (a simple substring match, one per line).

= How do I fix a broken link? =

Right from the dashboard: edit the URL inline, unlink it (keeping the text), or dismiss it if it's a false positive. You never have to open the post editor.

= Does it work with WP-Cron disabled? =

If you've disabled WP-Cron and use a real cron job that calls `wp-cron.php`, 404Zen works normally. Without any cron at all, scans run opportunistically on page visits, like every other WP-Cron task.

= Is 404Zen compatible with multisite? =

The free version works on individual sites of a network. Network-wide management is part of 404Zen Pro.

= What does my Link Health Grade mean? =

A means clean. The grade weighs broken links, redirect chains and how fresh your last scan is. The dashboard explains your current grade and exactly how to raise it.

== Screenshots ==

1. Your Link Health Grade at a glance — the dashboard grades every link A–F and shows exactly what to fix, with a step-by-step checklist.
2. Fix broken links in one click — edit the URL, unlink it, dismiss false positives, or recheck, right from the results table.
3. Settings: choose your scan frequency, what to check, server-load protection and the weekly email digest.
4. 404Zen Pro: unlimited local scanning, one-click auto-redirects, CSV export and multisite — flat price, lifetime option.

== Changelog ==

= 1.1.2 =
* Fixed the Documentation links (they now point to 404zen.com/docs, which is live).
* Upgrade page: the headline now adapts to your actual link health — no false "you're leaking traffic" when your site is already clean — plus added a trust line, a clearer auto-applied discount with an end date, and a stronger primary button.

= 1.1.1 =
* Listing refresh: clearer, benefit-led description and expanded FAQ (ongoing 404 monitoring; how 404Zen compares).
* Tightened the External services disclosure (same coverage, less text).
* Retargeted the search tags. No functional code changes.

= 1.1.0 =
* Renamed to 404Zen – Broken Link Fixer & Monitor.
* New Link Health Grade dashboard and step-by-step checklist.
* Scan frequency (hourly, twice daily, daily, weekly) is available to everyone.
* Added an External services disclosure to this readme, covering the optional product-updates opt-in.
* Prefixed the admin menu slug (`404zen` → `lgbf-404zen`) for WordPress.org compliance.

= 1.0.0 =
* Initial release: background link scanner, broken links dashboard with inline fixes, weekly email digest.

== Upgrade Notice ==

= 1.1.2 =
Fixes the Documentation links and sharpens the Pro upgrade page.

= 1.1.1 =
Listing/readme refresh only — clearer description and FAQ. No functional changes.

= 1.1.0 =
Renamed to 404Zen; adds the Link Health Grade dashboard and makes scan frequency free for all installs.

= 1.0.0 =
Initial release.
