You work hard on every post. You pick the right headline. You polish the intro. You add images to explain, persuade, and keep readers engaged.

Then an image breaks.
Now your post looks… broken, too.

That tiny red ❌ (or big empty box) hurts trust, user experience, and yes—your SEO. The good news: fixing broken images is quick.

And with Ghostboard’s new Broken Images report, finding them is even quicker. 🚀

In this guide, you’ll learn why broken images matter, how they cost you traffic and conversions, and a simple workflow to detect and fix them across your Ghost site in minutes—not hours.

What counts as a “broken image”?

A broken image is any image that fails to load correctly on your page. That includes:

• A 404 (the file isn’t there).
• A 403/401 (permissions block it).
• A hotlinked image that was removed on a third-party site.
• A file path or CDN URL that changed.
• Case-sensitive path mismatch after a migration.
• A theme or editor embed that points to a deleted asset.

It may show as an empty box, a broken icon, or just a collapsed gap that makes your layout jump around (ouch, CLS).

Why broken images hurt SEO (and growth)

1) They damage user experience and trust

People scan. Images guide their eyes, prove a point, and create meaning. When they don’t load, it feels sloppy.

That increases pogo-sticking (back to search results) and sends terrible “this page isn’t helpful” signals.

While bounce rate itself isn’t a direct ranking factor, it often correlates with UX issues that do influence rankings like speed and engagement.

2) They undermine image SEO and Discover visibility

No image, no image SEO. Your post is less likely to surface in Google Images, Discover, or rich results if key visuals fail.

Following Google’s image best practices is easier when the image actually loads. 😉

3) They can slow pages and break layout

Browsers retry missing files. That costs time. And when an image never renders, the layout can shift, creating a jarring experience.

Page speed and stability are core quality signals (and Lighthouse will call you out).

4) They block your message

A chart, a screenshot, a before-and-after—when those vanish, the argument weakens. People leave. You lose the click, the subscriber, the customer.

💡 Bottom line: one broken image can undo the work of a great post

The most common causes on Ghost

• Moved to a new theme or CDN and image paths changed.
• Imported content from another CMS, but didn’t migrate the /content/images/ folder correctly.
• Hotlinked images from other sites or CDNs (their URLs later changed or were rate-limited).
• Case sensitivity on Linux servers (/Images/ vs /images/).
• Edited the URL in HTML cards or Markdown and made a typo.
• Permissions (403) on private buckets or protected folders.
• Mixed content (HTTP images on HTTPS pages) blocked by the browser.

How broken images sneak past you

• The image loads in preview because your browser cached it—but fails on fresh visits.
• It loads on desktop but fails on mobile (different sizes/CDN variants).
• It loads in your country but is geo-blocked elsewhere.
• It loads on your original post but fails on syndicated, mirrored, or updated versions.
• The image worked last year; the source went offline this year.

This is why auditing is critical—especially after migrations, redesigns, or big content updates.

Meet Ghostboard’s Broken Images report (your fast fix) 🛠️

You could crawl your whole site with a generic tool and comb through 1,000 lines of output. Or you can open Ghostboard, jump to Broken Images, and see a clean, focused list of posts and image URLs that need attention—right now.

Ghostboard already helps with SEO checks (titles, descriptions, slugs, featured images) and broken/redirected links so you can tighten up essentials fast. Adding Broken Images rounds out the picture: no more ghost (ha!) visuals sabotaging great content.

What you’ll see in the Broken Images report:

• A list of affected posts (so you can fix high-impact URLs first).
• The failing image URL.
• Whether it’s internal (stored in Ghost) or external (hotlinked).
• How many times it appears (useful for templates or reused components).

Fix-first prioritization (how to triage in minutes)

1. Sort by traffic potential
   Start with posts that rank, get search clicks, or convert readers. Ghostboard shows top URLs and SEO issues in one place so you can focus where it pays.
2. Tackle templates and repeats
   If the same broken image appears in multiple posts (logo, CTA, author image, code diagram), fix it at the source (theme partial, snippet, or reusable card).
3. Handle internal images before externals
   Internal fixes are under your control. Replace missing assets, correct paths, or re-upload the file.
4. Replace or self-host external images
   If a third-party image died, download a legitimate copy (check license), upload to Ghost, and update the post.
5. Re-check with Ghostboard
   Confirm the Broken Images count drops to zero for the affected posts.

Pro tips to avoid future broken images

• Self-host important images. Hotlinking is a ticking time bomb.
• Name files clearly and avoid accidental renames.
• Keep originals in a predictable folder so teammates don’t delete “unused” assets.
• Set a quarterly audit. New content = new risk.
• Use Ghostboard’s SEO + Broken Links reports together. They catch the content quality issues that hurt rankings and trust.

Migration gotchas (and quick wins)

If you recently moved themes, changed domains, or migrated to/from Ghost(Pro), do this:

• Check the Broken Images report.
• Check redirects for any old /content/images/ paths that changed.
• Search/replace legacy CDN domains to your current image host.
• Open top 20 posts and spot-check on mobile + slow network.

Many Ghost publishers see a noticeable lift in engagement after cleaning up broken media because posts finally look as intended. 🎯

FAQ

Do broken images directly cause rankings to drop?
There’s no single “broken image penalty.” But broken images create poor UX, harm image search opportunities, and can slow pages. Those factors together can lower visibility.

Will Lighthouse flag broken images?
It will flag failing status codes and layout issues, and it focuses you on performance and accessibility (including image alt text). Use it alongside Ghostboard for a full picture.

What if the image is only broken in some regions?
Self-host critical assets to ensure global availability and consistent caching.

Is hotlinking ever okay?
Only when you control the source or it’s a robust CDN you manage. Otherwise, self-host.

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