Images break when the browser cannot get a valid picture from the address in the page. The usual causes are a wrong path or file name, a file that was moved or deleted, an address that starts with http on an https page, a server that refuses the request, or a file that is damaged. Your browser's Network tab shows which one it is.
Why it matters
A broken image leaves a gap, an icon or the alt text where a picture should be. Visitors read that as an unfinished site, and a failed product or instruction image can stop someone from buying or understanding.
How to check
- Open the page, press F12 to open developer tools and choose the Network tab. Reload the page and filter by Img.
- Look for rows in red or with a status other than 200. A 404 means the file is not at that address. A 403 means the server refused it.
- Right-click a broken image and open it in a new tab. If it still fails, the address or the file is the problem.
- Check the Console tab for messages about blocked or mixed content.
- Compare the address in the page source with the file's real location. Many servers treat
Photo.JPGandphoto.jpgas different files.
Typical fixes:
- Correct the path or restore the missing file.
- Change
http://image addresses tohttps://. - Check file permissions so the web server can read the file.
- If the image sits on another site or a CDN, check that hotlinking is allowed and that the address has not expired.
<img src="/images/team/office.jpg" alt="Our office in Leeds" width="800" height="533">
A leading slash starts the path at the site root, which avoids many relative-path mistakes.
Common mistakes
- Renaming or moving images in a media library without updating the pages that use them.
- Forgetting that file names are case sensitive on many servers.
- Using image addresses that point to a staging site or a local computer.
- Fixing the page that was noticed and missing the other pages that use the same image.
Crawvix's scan checks for broken images, and Crawvix Image Doctor lists every image on a scanned site with findings for missing alt text, broken images and heavy files.
Frequently asked questions
Why do images work on my computer but not for visitors?
The page may point to a file path on your own computer, or to a staging address that the public cannot reach. Use public https addresses.
Can a broken image hurt SEO?
Google's image guidance expects image files that can be fetched. Broken images spoil the page for visitors and give search engines nothing to index for those pictures.
Why do only some images fail?
Look for what they share: the same folder, a capital letter, a special character, or a size limit. The shared detail is usually the cause.
Related guides
- Find and fix slow images
- Crawvix Image Doctor checks explained
- Mixed content on HTTPS pages
- Broken internal links audit
To see what a scan would find on your site, Try the free website sample.