Reduce Broken Links with an Expiration Policy

Broken links are not only a UX issue. They reduce trust, weaken campaign continuity, and create hidden operational debt. A link expiration policy helps teams manage URL lifecycle intentionally.

Why links break in production environments

Common causes include:

Campaign pages removed after launch

Ownership transfer without handoff

Platform migrations that change URL structure

Temporary resources shared as if permanent

Without lifecycle controls, link decay is inevitable.

Policy design principles

A useful expiration policy should be:

Simple enough for teams to apply consistently

Flexible by use case (campaign vs evergreen)

Backed by ownership and review cadence

Suggested expiration model

Campaign links

Set fixed expiration aligned with campaign end date.

Evergreen educational links

Use periodic review (for example quarterly) rather than hard expiration.

Temporary internal links

Apply short default expiration windows.

Required metadata per link

Store:

Owner/team

Intended audience

Created date

Expiration/review date

Fallback destination plan

Metadata enables scalable maintenance.

Fallback experience for expired links

Never fail silently. Expired links should route users to:

A clear explanation page

Updated relevant resources

Contact path for support

Good fallback UX preserves trust even when content changes.

Operational review routine

Monthly process:

List links nearing expiration.

Confirm renew, archive, or redirect decision.

Validate fallback destinations.

Record changes for accountability.

Final takeaway

An expiration policy is preventive maintenance for your content infrastructure. Teams that manage link lifecycle proactively reduce user friction and maintain higher long-term quality signals.