The following article is our English interpretation of an post originally published on Baidu Webmaster Help pages in Chinese language. If you'd like to check out the original article, you can find it here: https://ziyuan.baidu.com/college/courseinfo?id=267&page=4A dead link (or “dead URL”) refers to any webpage that is no longer valid or useful to users. These links offer no valuable content and typically fall into two categories:
- Protocol Dead Links: These are URLs where the server explicitly returns an error status via the TCP/HTTP protocol — commonly 404 (Not Found), 403 (Forbidden), or 503 (Service Unavailable).
- Content Dead Links: The server response may indicate the page is live (e.g., returns a 200 OK), but the content has either been deleted, moved, or replaced with irrelevant info (like a login prompt or generic message), rendering it useless in context.
⚠️ Note: Content-based dead links can be harder to detect and may not be recalled as reliably. For better results, it’s recommended that webmasters use protocol-based dead links whenever possible to ensure optimal performance from platform tools.
Why Use a Dead Link Submission Tool?
If too many dead links pile up and start appearing in search results, it can negatively impact user experience and reduce conversion rates. Additionally, when Baidu’s crawlers encounter numerous dead links, it increases the load on your site and may slow down the indexing of healthy, working pages.
Using the dead link tool helps Baidu quickly identify and remove these pages from its index, keeping your site’s presence clean and efficient in search results.
How to Use the Dead Link Tool
Step 1: Identify and Handle Existing Dead Links
- Audit your site to locate dead pages.
- Set these pages to return a 404 error code when accessed.
- Compile the list of dead URLs into a dead link file (in the same format as a sitemap). Refer to Baidu’s help docs for formatting guidelines.
Step 2: Upload the Dead Link File
- Place the file in your site’s root directory.
- For example: If your site is
example.com, and your dead link file is namedsilian_example.xml, upload it toexample.com/silian_example.xml.
- For example: If your site is
- ⚠️ Important: Do not submit index-style sitemap files for dead links — these are not supported.
Step 3: Log into Baidu Search Console
Step 4: Verify Site Ownership
- Follow the verification process outlined in Baidu’s help center.
Step 5: Submit Your Dead Link File
- Navigate to:
Search Console → Search Services → Resource Submission → Dead Link Submission - Set a refresh interval for the dead link file (e.g., every X hours/days).
- Enter the URL of the dead link file. Check your quota limit displayed beside the submission box.
- Manage existing submissions: Monitor the status of your submitted files and their processing results.
Once submitted, your dead link file will appear in the tool’s dashboard. If you later update the file with new dead links, you can select it and click “Update Selected” to resubmit and refresh the data.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Doesn’t Baidu detect dead links automatically? What’s the benefit of using this tool?
A: While Baidu’s crawlers can eventually detect dead links, this process takes time. The tool shortens the discovery phase dramatically and works better when paired with other tools on the platform.
Q: How long does it take for the tool to take effect?
A: Dead links are processed and take effect within about a week. If they aren’t removed after that, you can submit feedback via Baidu’s support center.
Q: Can I submit dead links like *.a.example.com?
A: No, wildcard subdomains are not supported. You must submit dead links as a properly formatted XML or TXT file.
Q: What if the same URL appears in both my sitemap and the dead link file?
A:
- If the URL is truly a dead link, it won’t be indexed through the sitemap.
- If it’s actually a live URL, including it in the dead link file may impact the effectiveness of your submission.
Q: Can I submit an entire directory as a dead link?
A: No. This feature is not supported at the moment.
Q: Does the tool support index-style sitemap files for dead links?
A: No. Index-type sitemaps are not accepted. Only direct lists of dead URLs are allowed.