Weekly website link checker with Slack alerts for broken URLs

Description

• Automates weekly checks for broken links on a website.
• Scans the site using HTTP requests and filters broken links.
• Sends Slack alerts for detected broken URLs and creates a list for tracking.

Essential Information

• Runs weekly to monitor website link integrity.
• Identifies broken links and notifies the team via Slack.
• Generates a list of broken links for further action.

System Architecture

• Link Checking Pipeline:
  • Weekly Cron Trigger: Schedules the workflow to run weekly.
  • Scan Blog with HTTP: Performs HTTP GET requests to check website links.
• Alert and Tracking Flow:
  • Filter Broken Links: Identifies and separates broken links.
  • Send Slack Alert: Notifies the team via Slack about broken URLs.
  • Create Broken Links List: Compiles a list of broken links.
• Non-Critical Handling:
  • No Action for Valid Links: Skips valid links with no further action.

Implementation Guide

• Import the workflow JSON into n8n.
• Configure the HTTP node with the target website URL (e.g., https://yourblog.com).
• Set up Slack credentials for alerts.
• Test the workflow with a sample website scan.
• Monitor link checking accuracy and adjust HTTP settings if needed.

Technical Dependencies

• HTTP request capability for link scanning.
• Slack API for team notifications.
• n8n for workflow automation and scheduling.

Database & Sheet Structure

• No specific database or sheet required; relies on HTTP response data.
• Example payload: {"url": "https://yourblog.com/broken", "status": 404, "time": "2025-07-29T20:21:00Z"}

Customization Possibilities

• Adjust the Cron trigger to run at a different frequency (e.g., daily).
• Customize HTTP node to scan specific pages or domains.
• Modify Slack alert messages in the Send Slack Alert node.
• Enhance the Create Broken Links List node to save results to a Google Sheet or Notion.
• Add email notifications for additional alert channels.