=== Honest Link Checker – Find and Fix Broken Links ===
Contributors: honestplugins
Tags: broken links, link checker, 404, seo, links
Requires at least: 6.2
Tested up to: 7.1
Requires PHP: 7.4
Stable tag: 1.0.3
License: GPLv2 or later
License URI: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html

Find and fix broken links and missing images. Only the ones that are really broken: no false alarms, no account, no link limits.

== Description ==

Honest Link Checker checks every link and image in your published posts, pages and approved comments, and sorts them into three groups:

* **Broken**: the page is gone, or the site no longer exists. Each one is checked twice, a few minutes apart, before it is listed, so a short outage does not fill your list.
* **Could not check**: some large sites refuse every automatic check, even for pages that work. No link checker can tell from outside whether these work, so we say so instead of calling them broken. Open each one once and click "It works".
* **Working**: shown as a count.

For each broken link you can:

* **Fix** it: type the new address once and it changes in every post that uses it.
* **Remove link**: the link goes and the words stay.
* **Ignore** it.

Every change can be undone for 30 days, and WordPress keeps a revision of each post we change.

= What it does not do =

* It does not change anything on its own. Nothing is edited until you click.
* It does not send your links to any outside service. Checks run from your own server.
* It does not slow your visitors down. Checks run in the background, a few links at a time, only for you.
* It has no settings to learn.

= Pro =

Honest Link Checker Pro is a separate plugin for site owners who want a weekly check with an email when something breaks, fixing many links at once, and an Excel export. It is $39 a year, with a [14-day free trial](https://checkout.freemius.com/plugin/42723/plan/74393/?trial=free) and no card needed. The free plugin is complete without it.

== Installation ==

1. Install and activate the plugin.
2. Go to Tools → Link Checker. The first check starts on its own.

== Frequently Asked Questions ==

= Why are some links under "Could not check"? =

Sites such as Etsy, Quora and some news sites answer automatic checks with "forbidden", even for pages that work. Other checkers list these as broken. We list them separately, so the Broken list only holds real problems.

= Does it check links inside page builders? =

Version 1 checks the post content and excerpt, which covers the block editor and the classic editor. Links stored in a page builder's own data are not checked yet.

= What happens when I remove the plugin? =

Its tables and settings are deleted. Your posts are not touched.

== Screenshots ==

1. Broken links are listed apart from sites that block checkers, each with the reason and the post it is in.
2. Fix a link once and it changes in every post that uses it.
3. Every change can be undone for 30 days.
4. A small Dashboard widget shows what needs attention.

== Changelog ==

= 1.0.3 =
* While a link waits for its second check, the Broken list says so, so the check never looks finished too early.

= 1.0.2 =
* Clearer plugin name and summary.

= 1.0.1 =
* Adds the link to Pro.

= 1.0.0 =
* First release.
