check-links

name	check-links
description	Analyze and validate links and buttons on web pages. Use when users ask to check links, verify button hrefs, find empty links, detect javascript:void links, find broken navigation, or audit clickable elements. Detects empty href, javascript:void(0), hash-only links, missing href attributes, and non-accessible buttons.

Check Links

Analyze and validate links (<a>) and buttons on web pages for proper navigation and accessibility.

Quick Start

Run the link checker from the scripts directory:

cd /path/to/html-checker/scripts
bun src/check-links.ts <URL>

CLI Options

Option	Short	Default	Description
--verbose	-v	false	Show all links including valid ones
--json	-j	false	Output results as JSON
--check-external	-e	false	Verify external links (slower)

Checks Performed

Check	Severity	Description
Empty href	Error	Link with href="" or no href attribute
javascript:void	Warning	Link with href="javascript:void(0)"
Hash only	Warning	Link with href="#" (no destination)
Button no action	Error	<button> without click handler or form
Dead link	Error	Link returns 404 or unreachable
Missing text	Warning	Link with no accessible text content

Usage Examples

Basic check

bun src/check-links.ts https://example.com

Verbose output showing all links

bun src/check-links.ts https://example.com --verbose

Check external links (verify 404s)

bun src/check-links.ts https://example.com --check-external

JSON output for automation

bun src/check-links.ts https://example.com --json

Output

The checker provides:

1. Summary - Total links/buttons analyzed
2. Issues - List of problems with severity and location
3. Statistics - Breakdown by issue type
4. Recommendations - How to fix each issue

Example Output

Link Analysis for https://example.com

Summary:
  Total Links: 45
  Total Buttons: 12
  Issues Found: 7

Issues:
  [ERROR] Empty href at line 23
    <a href="" class="cta-button">Click here</a>

  [WARNING] javascript:void at line 56
    <a href="javascript:void(0)" onclick="openModal()">Learn More</a>

  [WARNING] Hash-only link at line 89
    <a href="#">Back to top</a>

  [ERROR] Button without action at line 112
    <button class="submit-btn">Submit</button>

Statistics:
  Empty href: 2
  javascript:void: 3
  Hash-only: 1
  Button no action: 1

Recommendations:
  - Replace javascript:void with proper button elements
  - Add href destinations or use <button> for actions
  - Ensure all buttons have onclick or form association

Common Issues and Fixes

Empty href

Bad:

<a href="" class="btn">Click</a>

Good:

<a href="/destination" class="btn">Click</a>
<!-- or use button for actions -->
<button type="button" class="btn" onclick="handleClick()">Click</button>

javascript:void(0)

Bad:

<a href="javascript:void(0)" onclick="doSomething()">Action</a>

Good:

<button type="button" onclick="doSomething()">Action</button>

Hash-only links

Bad:

<a href="#">Scroll to top</a>

Good:

<a href="#top">Scroll to top</a>
<button type="button" onclick="scrollToTop()">Scroll to top</button>

Accessibility (WCAG)

• SC 2.4.4: Link purpose must be clear
• SC 4.1.2: All interactive elements need accessible names
• SC 1.3.1: Buttons must be properly identified

SEO Impact

• Empty/invalid links waste crawl budget
• javascript:void links are not crawlable
• Broken links harm site authority
• Internal linking improves page discovery

Related Files

• Scripts: /plugins/html-checker/scripts/
• Check Headings: /plugins/html-checker/skills/check-headings/