90% of Free Blog and Note Links Still Live: 1,661 Checks
A link placed on a free platform is not a permanent asset: pages get deleted, links get cut out or simply stop being found, and nobody tells you. We rechecked our own placements on free platforms, published between 1 January and 31 October 2026, to see how many links are still alive today and…
A link placed on a free platform is not a permanent asset: pages get deleted, links get cut out or simply stop being found, and nobody tells you. We rechecked our own placements on free platforms, published between 1 January and 31 October 2026, to see how many links are still alive today and where the losses happen.
Data: placements 01.01–31.10.2026, checked 07.11.2026
Key numbers
- On blogs, notes and anonymous pages the link is alive in 90% of placements (1,502 of 1,661) aged 7 days or more.
- By age (blogs, notes and anonymous pages): 7–29 days 97% (348 of 357), 30–89 days 85% (357 of 422), 90–179 days 90% (367 of 408), 180+ days 91% (430 of 474). Older than 90 days: 90% (797 of 882). There is no steady decline with age; the visible drop is between the first month and the older groups, and these are different cohorts.
- Why links are lost (blogs, notes and anonymous pages): the page was deleted in 4% of placements (67 of 1,661), and the page is live but the link was not found in 6% (92 of 1,661).
- By type: notes and text pages 99% (282 of 285), anonymous pages 89% (640 of 720; pages were never deleted, the link was not found in 11%, 80 of 720), Web 2.0 blogs and site builders 88% (580 of 656; losses almost only from deleted pages, 10%, 67 of 656).
How we counted
We drew a random sample of our own placements on free blogs, notes and anonymous pages, balanced by platform type and by age (7–29, 30–89, 90–179 and 180+ days, up to 180 per cell). On 7 November 2026 we requested each page with an ordinary HTTP request and looked for a clickable link to our target in the HTML. We could check 1,661 placements; the exclusions are explained in the Methodology section. This is a sample of our placements on free platforms, not of the whole internet and not of media outlets or article marketplaces.
How many links are alive, by age
A reading rule first: this is a snapshot. The age groups are different cohorts, placed in different months and partly on different platforms, not the same links followed over time. So we say "in the 90–179 day group the link is alive in 90%", not "links come back" or "links die at a certain rate per month".
| Age, days | Checked | Link alive | Page deleted | Page live, link not found |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7–29 | 357 | 97% (348) | 2% (7) | 1% (2) |
| 30–89 | 422 | 85% (357) | 6% (26) | 9% (39) |
| 90–179 | 408 | 90% (367) | 5% (20) | 5% (21) |
| 180+ | 474 | 91% (430) | 3% (14) | 6% (30) |
| All | 1,661 | 90% (1,502) | 4% (67) | 6% (92) |
The lowest share is in the 30–89 day group (85%); the older groups are higher (90% and 91%). We would not read this as links recovering or as a steady decay: the cohorts differ in platforms and months, and the oldest group still includes 6% (30 of 474) of pages that are live without our link. What the snapshot does support is that the first month looks different from everything older (97% against 85–91%).
Why links disappear
Across blogs, notes and anonymous pages, 4% of placements (67 of 1,661) returned "not found" or "gone", and 6% (92 of 1,661) were live but we did not find our link. So the larger share is not deleted pages but pages that are online without a link we could match. Part of that "not found" share is real removal or editing of the link; part may be links that go through a redirect or a shortener, which our check does not follow, so this share is more likely overstated than understated. The data shows the outcome, not the reason in each case.
Differences between platform types
We group the free platforms into types. In plain words:
- Web 2.0 blogs and site builders (21 platforms): you register, get a blog or a small site, and publish articles on it.
- Anonymous pages (2 platforms): a page can be published without an account.
- Notes and text pages (2 platforms): simple publishing of a text or note with a public address.
| Type | Platforms | Checked | Link alive | Page deleted | Page live, link not found |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Notes and text pages | 2 | 285 | 99% (282) | 0% (0) | 1% (3) |
| Anonymous pages | 2 | 720 | 89% (640) | 0% (0) | 11% (80) |
| Web 2.0 blogs and site builders | 21 | 656 | 88% (580) | 10% (67) | 1% (9) |
Two types are represented by only two platforms each, so their numbers describe those platforms, not the whole category. Anonymous pages lost no whole pages in this sample, but on 11% (80 of 720) we did not find the link. Web 2.0 blogs are the opposite: losses there are almost entirely deleted pages (67 of 656).
What to do with this
- Recheck links after 30 days and again after 90 days: the 30–89 day group has the lowest share of live links in our snapshot (85%, 357 of 422).
- Do not judge "alive" by the response code alone: 6% of placements (92 of 1,661) returned a normal page where we found no link.
- Check that the link is clickable and points to the right address, not just that the address appears as text.
- Keep checking after 180 days: in that group 6% of pages (30 of 474) were live without our link.
- Treat links on free platforms as a layer that needs maintenance, not a one-time job.
How PromoPilot handles it
That is why we recheck placements. If an article or link stops opening, we replace it for free on request, and if it cannot be restored, the cost of the undelivered part goes back to your balance. Terms: promopilot.link/en/public/refund.php
Methodology
- Source: the PromoPilot placement log, successful publications from 01.01.2026 to 31.10.2026 on free platforms. Client data, domains and platform names are not disclosed.
- Types: Web 2.0 blogs and site builders (21 platforms), anonymous pages without registration (2), notes and text pages (2). File hosting was excluded because it has too few placements younger than 180 days.
- Scope: the study covers blogs, notes and anonymous pages.
- Sample: stratified random, up to 180 placements per type and age cell.
- Check: 07.11.2026, plain HTTP GET with a browser User-Agent. "Link alive" means a 200 response and a clickable link (an a href element) to our target URL in the HTML, after normalising letter case of percent-codes, trailing slash, www and http/https, or to the target domain when it differs from the platform's own domain. A text mention of the URL, an og:url tag, a canonical address and a page linking to itself are not counted. "Deleted" means 404 or 410. "Page live, link not found" means 200 without such a link. Responses 403, 429 and timeouts are "not checked" and are excluded from the base (129).
- Excluded: 13 platforms whose content is loaded by JavaScript, where a link cannot be seen without a browser.
- Effect of exclusions: excluding the 13 JavaScript platforms and 129 unavailable responses may shift the totals. Redirects and link shorteners are not followed, so "link not found" is more likely overstated than understated.
- Limitations: this is a snapshot, not tracking of the same links over time; cohorts of different ages differ in their mix of platforms and months; these are free platforms, not media outlets or article marketplaces; two types are represented by two platforms each. The findings are correlations, not causes.
FAQ
How long does a link on a free platform last?
There is no single figure. In our snapshot, on blogs, notes and anonymous pages, the link was alive in 90% of placements (1,502 of 1,661) aged 7 days or more: 97% (348 of 357) in the 7–29 day group and 91% (430 of 474) in the 180+ day group. We saw no steady decline with age, and the age groups are different cohorts.
Why do links disappear from free platforms?
In our data 4% of placements (67 of 1,661) lost the page entirely and 6% (92 of 1,661) have a live page where we did not find the link. The second figure may be overstated because redirects and shorteners are not followed. Our data shows the outcome, not the reason in each case.
Which types of platforms are more reliable?
In this sample notes and text pages had a live link in 99% of placements (282 of 285), anonymous pages in 89% (640 of 720) and Web 2.0 blogs in 88% (580 of 656). The first two types are two platforms each, so treat them as indicative.
How often should I check my links?
At least after 30 days and after 90 days, then periodically, including after 180 days. In the 30–89 day group the link was found in 85% of placements (357 of 422), and in the 180+ day group 6% (30 of 474) were live pages without our link. Check the content of the page, not only the response code.
Is this the same for links in media outlets?
We do not know: we measured only free platforms and did not include media outlets or article marketplaces. Do not carry these numbers over to other kinds of placement without checking them separately.
How to cite
PromoPilot (2026). How Long Links Live on Free Blogs and Notes: 1,661 Placements. Checked 07.11.2026. CC BY 4.0: https://promopilot.link/uploads/blog/research/link-lifespan-0811/link-lifespan-2026-11-07.csv . Article: https://promopilot.link/en/blog/how-long-links-live-free-blogs-notes-1661-placements
Download the data
The aggregate table (CSV, license CC BY 4.0): https://promopilot.link/uploads/blog/research/link-lifespan-0811/link-lifespan-2026-11-07.csv. It contains aggregates only, with no domains and no platform names.
