Used Xenu's Link Sleuth for Windows?
Xenu's Link Sleuth Analysis
AI Assisted Content ·
Not written by CNET Staff.
Xenu's Link Sleuth, developed by Tilman Hausherr, is a venerable and free utility designed to thoroughly audit website health by finding broken links. It verifies a comprehensive array of URL types, including standard hyperlinks, images, backgrounds, frames, FTP, gopher, and SSL sites. This long-standing tool emphasizes a simple approach to maintaining crucial site integrity.
Its core function provides webmasters and SEO professionals with detailed reports on broken, redirected, and 404 error pages, all from an approachable application. For users seeking alternatives, tools such as Screaming Frog SEO Spider and W3C Link Checker offer more modern or web-based functionality, but Xenu remains popular for its speed and zero cost.
Comprehensive site integrity verification
This essential tool automates the process of discovering and managing link issues across various protocols, including HTTP, FTP, gopher, and SSL. It enables professionals to audit site integrity comprehensively, which is vital for protecting both search engine rankings and site reputation. The program's default setting runs 30 concurrent threads, which can be adjusted. While it can scan a vast number of pages, it performs most effectively on small to medium-sized websites, delivering thorough results without unnecessary strain.
Accessible interface with detailed reporting
Xenu’s Link Sleuth presents a user-friendly, clean interface that requires no specific programming knowledge to operate. Users simply input a starting URL and set the crawl depth using simple settings. The application continuously updates link statuses in real time, using color-coded feedback—green for valid links and red for issues—to clearly highlight problem areas. Sorting options and direct page previews help users efficiently locate and diagnose links needing attention.
Operating on a completely free, unrestricted license model, this tool is highly accessible without budget constraints. However, one notable downside is its antiquated reporting functionality. While it generates detailed, long reports marking broken and redirected links, and can produce site structure data, it only exports this information into a simple ASCII/text file format. This limitation means users cannot directly download the data into a modern format like Excel for advanced, machine-readable analysis.
Pros
- Supports multiple protocols (FTP, SSL)
- Fast, multithreaded scanning
- Intuitive user interface
Cons
- Exports only to simple text file format
Bottom Line
Still a reliable link doctor
All in all, Xenu’s Link Sleuth delivers a detailed, automated solution for webmasters needing to identify and manage broken links and analyze basic site architecture. Its free license, robust support for multiple link types, and efficient multithreaded scanning make it a practical and reliable tool for maintaining link health and optimizing user experience. Although exporting to a simple text file format is a clear downside, it remains a surprisingly effective tool for its age.
What’s new in version 1.3.9
- Fixed known issues
Used Xenu's Link Sleuth for Windows?
