What it is
An image whose src 404s leaves a broken placeholder, hurting the experience and signalling neglect. Broken images are easy to find and fix. Images fail to load. Broken UX; lost visual content. Fix paths/hosting. Low-medium. Inferred.
Why does broken image src matter for AI search?
Broken UX; lost visual content.
How do you fix it?
Fix paths/hosting.
How do you find it on your site?
- Crawl the site for img elements whose src returns 4xx.
- Identify the correct or replacement image.
- Fix the src paths.
- Re-crawl to confirm images load.
Which ranking and citation factors does it touch?
Broken images degrade experience and look like poor maintenance. Fixing them is basic quality hygiene.
What is the impact?
Low-medium. Inferred.
What is the evidence?
Working media supports UX and indexing. Google Search Central, Image SEO best practices
Frequently asked questions about broken image src
What does "Broken image src" mean?
Images fail to load.
How do you fix broken image src?
Fix paths/hosting.