Add Link checker functionality to GovCMS

[tech-jude]

** Please provide the Drupal.org URL for the module
URL: https://www.drupal.org/project/linkchecker

** What value does this module/package add to GovCMS?
This Module better enables site owners and maintainers to detect and repair broken links in their content, withing the admin UI.

** Is the module Drupal 11 compatible?
Yes

** Please provide a brief outline of what this module does.
The Link checker module extracts links from your content when saved and periodically tries to detect broken hypertext links by checking the remote sites and evaluating the HTTP response codes. It shows all broken links under Administration > Reports > Broken links.
This does have a dependency on regular cron runs.

** Who does this module benefit:
[x] end users
[x] content editors
[x] site builders
[ ] themers
[x] developers

** How could you provide/replicate the functionality of this module using alternative methods, eg in your theme?
Integration with 3rd party tools can provide http status reports, but does not provide the same in-site management experience, and can be blocked due to Authorisation issues. Some agencies cannot make use of these, as their IT security policies block the execution of crawlers.

** If this module styles or alters HTML or JavaScript output, can the functionality be provided via the theme? What alternatives have you considered.
This is to assist maintainers, and is designed to operate within the Admin UI. Workarounds in theme would introduce more risks and not support role-based access.

** What is the maintenance and support status of the module. Describe the issue queue activity.
This is actively maintained, including AU-based maintainers.

** What permissions are needed to utilise the module (and are any new permissions provided by the module)?
The module adds its own permissions. They control access to link checking reports, settings, and execution and need to be explicitly assigned to user roles:

access broken links report:
  title: 'Access broken links report'
  description: 'Allows users to access the global broken links report.'
access own broken links report:
  title: 'Access own broken links report'
  description: 'Allows users to access their user specific broken links report.'
administer linkchecker:
  title: 'Administer Link checker'
  description: 'Allows users to administer Link checker settings.'
  restrict access: true
edit linkchecker link settings:
  title: 'Edit link settings'
  description: 'Allows users to edit broken link settings.'

** Does the module modify the database structure and/or store additional metadata on nodes or other entities? If so, why? What are the risks for future updates?
The module creates tables to store the status of the links.

** Is the module designed to capture anonymous user data?
No

** Is the output of the module typically fully cacheable? Would the inclusion of this module potentially render pages uncacheable.
n/a

** What is your assessment of the quality of this module, the contribution history of the module's maintainers, and the uptake of the module within the Drupal community?
The module is actively maintained. 17,624 sites report using this module
The configuration options are straightforward.

** Additional information
This has been one of the most highly requested modules since the removal of this functionality when sites upgraded from D7 to D8. I currently have several clients requesting this.

[Jtotheeannie]

I’d really like to see this module included. A lot of clients have been asking for this since the D7 to D8 upgrade when we lost that built-in broken link checking. This is such a useful tool for content teams – being able to spot and fix broken links right from the admin interface makes a big difference.

External tools aren’t always an option due to IT restrictions, and this module just works – it's maintained, widely used, and does exactly what’s needed without a bunch of extra overhead.

[Gumnutt]

This module is really useful for site owners and content editors, as it makes it easy to spot and fix broken links right from the admin interface. It fills a gap that’s been there since the move from Drupal 7 to newer versions, and I’ve had a lot of clients asking for this functionality back.

It’s actively maintained (including by some Australian maintainers) and is already being used on over 17,000 Drupal sites. It comes with clear role-based permissions, works entirely in the admin UI without affecting frontend performance, and doesn’t rely on external link checkers — which is important for agencies with strict security policies.

While there are third-party tools out there, they can be tricky with authentication or simply not allowed due to IT restrictions. This module is a simple, secure, and user-friendly option that just works within the site.

With its stability, active support, Drupal 11 compatibility, and strong community demand, I think this would be a great addition to GovCMS.

[gargsuchi]

This is a great module that should be added to the govCMS distro. It is an actively maintained module and is D11 compliant.
Many of our clients ask for this functionality, and we have to rely on a third party instead to fulfill this requirement. Being able to generate a broken links report and the ability to fix them from the admin interface are really useful.

[codegoesinhere]

This would benefit the 3x SaaS sites in our space. Would be nice to have the functionality to hand back to business.

This would give us time back to focus on more technical/development aspects of the products and the business team doesnt need us to check or run other tools over the top. Saves money if we dont need a third party tool too. Win wins all round.

New account for me (rhymes with shhmalistair)

[StephenOllman]

This was a much-used feature back in the early days of Drupal and I could never figure out why it was dropped.

It will be a welcome addition to the GovCMS distro if added back in.

[rebelmusic]

Really useful for GovCMS sites, stable release, security coverage and +17k sites using it.
+1

[xrayfish]

+1

[athapa07]

+1

[akte-akte]

+1

[dlm78]

When running a fleet of websites the lack of a link checker impeded the organisation's ability to ensure link integrity through self-service. Software was procured to fill this gap but, even then, was only available to a limited number of personnel (and at cost). I suspect that this is the case at scale so the addition of this module (or an equivalent) would almost certainly be welcomed by numerous content teams.

[yvonne-norris]

Thanks everyone for the community support for this functionality,

Before progressing this module request, GovCMS will be investigating an alternative option

cheers
Yvonne

[Jtotheeannie]

@yvonne-norris Whats the alternative option that you're investigating?

[brettyt]

+1 we this on local sites to prepare broken link reports then send them on to our admins. This module would save me time and allow our admins to self-serve without waiting for more exported reports.