How to Fix Broken Images and Files

What this means

A page is made of more than its text. It also loads images, style sheets, fonts and scripts. A site audit flags pages where one or more of these files returns an error, usually a 404 because the file was deleted or moved.

Why it matters

A broken image leaves an empty box or a broken-picture icon where a photo should be. A broken style sheet can make a page look unfinished. A broken script can stop a menu, a form or a gallery working at all. Visitors notice, and they trust the site less.

How to find the broken file

The audit tells you which page has the problem. To find the file:

Open the page in Chrome, Edge or Firefox.
Right-click anywhere and choose Inspect, then open the Console tab.
Reload the page. Files that failed to load are listed in red, usually with "404" beside them.

You can also look for gaps on the page: an image that doesn't show, or a section that looks unstyled.

How to fix it

A missing image

Re-upload the image and place it again on the page.
If you deleted it from the media library on purpose, remove it from the page or replace it.
Check the image wasn't linked from another website that has since removed it. Images should be uploaded to your own site, not linked from someone else's.

A file from a removed plugin, app or theme

When a plugin, app or theme is removed, it sometimes leaves code behind that still asks for its files. Reinstall it, or ask its support how to remove it fully. On WordPress, clearing your caching plugin's cache can also clear old references.

A file from an old address

After moving a site, changing domain or switching to https, some pages may still load files from the old address. Update the address on the page, or ask your developer to run a search and replace across the site.

A third-party script

Chat widgets, review badges and booking tools load files from the company that provides them. If one is broken, the service may have changed its code or closed your account. Check the code they asked you to add is still current.

Checking your fix

Reload the page with the Console open. The red errors should be gone.

If you use Duality, tick the page in Site Audit and choose Verify my fixes to check it again straight away.