Linkrot

Linkrot is the phenomenon whereby hyperlinks on the web cease to point to the originally intended resource. Over time, many URLs break due to resources being removed, relocated, renamed, or otherwise made inaccessible. When a link no longer resolves to the same content, readers may encounter errors such as 404 Not Found or 410 Gone, or be redirected to unrelated material.

Common causes include site restructuring, page deletion, domain expiration, changes in permalink schemes, and server outages. Dynamic URLs with parameters can also become stale. Even when a URL remains reachable, the content at the target can change, leading to content drift from the referenced material.

In scholarly work, journalism, and digital libraries, linkrot reduces verifiability, reproducibility, and archival value. It can mislead readers and complicate long-term access to evidence or sources. The phenomenon also raises concerns for digital preservation and the integrity of online knowledge.

Mitigation strategies include using persistent identifiers such as DOIs or ARKs, archiving cited resources with web archives, and regular link checking. Authors and publishers can cite archived versions, include access dates, and maintain redirects or updated pointers. Some communities maintain reference rot policies and tools for link maintenance to help preserve the longevity and reliability of online references.