Email template
A page links to something that now returns a 404, and you have a close replacement. Below: the template, a filled-in example, why it works, common mistakes and the follow-up to send if there's no reply.
Subject: Broken link in your {post topic} post
Hi {first name},
Quick heads-up: in your post on {post topic}, the link to {broken resource name} under "{section or anchor text}" goes to a 404 page now.
If you're looking for a replacement, our {resource title} covers the same ground: {URL}. No worries if you'd rather point it somewhere else.
Thanks,
{your first name}
The situation: A post on literature review methods links to a citation-tracking guide from a tool that shut down last year. The link now returns a 404. The product is Margin, a fictional notes app for researchers.
Subject: Broken link in your literature review post
Hi Tom, Quick heads-up: in your post on literature review methods, the link to the "citation tracking guide" under "Keeping track of sources" goes to a 404 page now. The tool that hosted it closed last year. If you're looking for a replacement, our guide on keeping sources attached to notes covers the same ground: margin.example/guides/keep-sources. No worries if you'd rather point it somewhere else. Thanks, Ana
Send once, four to seven days later, in the same thread. Add one new reason; don't repeat the pitch.
Subject: Re: Broken link in your {post topic} post
Hi {first name},
Just flagging this once more in case it's useful: the link under "{section}" still goes to a 404.
Thanks,
{your first name}
A template saves time on structure, not on research. Every placeholder should become a detail only this editor would recognise: their name, the post, the section and why your product helps their readers. Send it from a properly authenticated outreach domain, one email per prospect, and stop after one or two follow-ups.
Broken link building works best when you already have a page that replaces the dead one. The broken link building definition covers the basics, and our ranked list of ways to get backlinks shows where it fits against other methods. If the page also has outdated facts, mention them with the updated information template; if the dead link used to point to you, use the link reclamation email. If nothing on the page is broken but your resource would still help, send a link insertion request.
Doing this for dozens of posts a week is where most outreach stalls. BacklinkGenie finds the posts, writes a pitch like the example above for each one, and sends it from a mailbox it manages for you once you approve. See how it works.
Run a competitor's old or deleted pages through a backlink tool to see who still links to them, or crawl relevant posts with a link checker. Focus on pages that link to resources you could genuinely replace.
It works well when the replacement is a real match. Editors care about their readers hitting dead ends, so a polite heads-up gets a better reply rate than most cold pitches.
Build it only if the topic is worth it for your own site too. Recreating a resource that many pages link to can earn several links from one piece of work.
Reclaiming links after a site change template
For sites linking to your old URLs or old domain after a redesign, rebrand or migration.
Getting listed on a resource page template
For curated "resources", "tools we recommend" and "useful links" pages that exist to link out.
Turning an unlinked brand mention into a link template
For pages that already name your brand or product but don't link to you.
Link outreach email checker
Paste your filled-in version and see what an editor or spam filter will object to.
Outreach subject line tester
Check the subject for length, mobile cut-off and spam triggers.
All outreach email templates
Every template on one page: 19 situations from listicles to paid-link replies.
Paste your URL. The agent finds lists, comparison pages, resource pages and guides where your product fits, checks each site and finds the editor to contact. Free, no card.
