Link Validation

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(16)

It would be great if the link validation feature could be used on selected content instead of always running for the whole course.  

10 Comments
Stef_retired
Instructure Alumni
Instructure Alumni
Status changed to: Open
 
ashlib
Community Member

Create a “Link Checker” or “Link Validator” tool in the Rich Content editor that validates page links directly within the page editor. This would function much like the “Accessibility Checker” for pages and do some of what the course link validator does but at the page level. Feedback on broken links could appear similarly to accessibility errors. If an external link is broken, this would be noted in the sidebar. If a Canvas link (file or page) is connected to a different course ID, this would be noted. A clean link check would give similar balloons as the accessibility checker does. This would help make sense of the larger course link validator. It would show instructors broken links before even leaving the editing box and would save so much time when fixing broken links.

shaneros
Community Participant

This is a brilliant idea that I'd love to see implemented!

mofstein
Community Explorer

It would be great if we could utilize the link validator on single pages, not just at the course level. I frequently find myself editing multiple links and navigating back and forth to ensure they were done correctly. 

In an ideal state, I would envision this living in the same space as the editor's Accessibility Checker. 

IngerR
Community Member

Would this be the same as my thoughts about a tool that helps me to check what pages links to one certain page? 

Ie I have a long page with lots of anchorlinks leading to it, to different parts of the page. I want to see which pages in my course that links to this page. I want to se all the treads in the spider's net, leading into the spider. 

or should I start another Idea conversation? I'm totally new (three weeks) to canvas. 

 

Thanks! 

jlubkinchavez
Community Contributor

Love the idea of building it into the rich content editor. Though I think it's also important to keep the course-level one as well for a full course review. Definitely would not want to have to go to each page to check.

About the original idea, I could imagine something that functions very similar to the Course Import tool where you indicate which select content you want to import.

Here's another idea for the course-level Link Validator--to give the option to skip deleted content. Please consider voting up.

hmcneill
Community Participant

Yes, it would be a good idea to be able to select specific modules or pages to run the link checker against at course level. 

It would also be very helpful if there was an option to ignore links which fail because they require authentication with systems used in our organisation, such as embedded Microsoft Stream videos. If this isn't possible to implement as a general rule, then perhaps the ability to set a URL whitelist at root and then the option to ignore those URLs when running the link checker. Unless there is another solution for this that we've missed so far?! 

Eily
Community Explorer

I agree, and I posted this comment on another thread, but will do so here as well:

"It is also cumbersome for instructors to have to sift through the HTML editor to find and remove "ghost links" where a link is included in the HTML code but is no longer linked to any visible text. It would be great to be able to remove these automatically from the link validator area, or to have an option to skip them so that instructors can focus on checking links that are actually visible to students."

smithkMBA
Community Member

I would also love to see this implemented.

ProductPanda
Instructure
Instructure
Status changed to: Archived
Comments from Instructure

As part of the new Ideas & Themes process, all ideas in Idea Conversations were reviewed by the Product Team. Any Idea that was associated with an identified theme was moved to the new Idea & Themes space. Any Idea that was not part of the move is being marked as Archived. This will preserve the history of the conversations while also letting Community members know that Instructure will not explore the request at this time.