Why can't I find the link Siteimprove is referencing?
Answer
If Siteimprove reports a link that you cannot find in the Page report, the link may only appear at certain browser widths, be hidden in the source code, be affected by broken CSS or JavaScript files, or exist within menus and other interactive elements. Using the Show HTML feature, searching the page HTML, and toggling JavaScript or CSS can help identify the link.
Symptoms
You cannot locate a link that Siteimprove indicates exists on a page, even though it is referenced within the Page report.
Possible causes
The link only displays at a certain browser width
Many responsive sites contain links for both mobile and desktop versions. The mobile version can be hidden until a mobile browser id detected. Try to resize your browser window to see if the link appears.
The link was not intended to be visible
Links in your source code may not be visible as they were not intended to be interactive. For example, these may be intended for search engines, robots, or other purposes. If the Siteimprove crawler can find these links then search engines and other crawlers can also find them.
Broken CSS or Javascript files
Broken CSS or Javascript files (.css and .js) will highlight the full page on the Page report as the link is not visible on the page. In this case, we suggest you use the"Show HTML" feature on the Page report to help identify the link. See the tips below for further information on this.
The link is on a menu or similar element
The link may be part of a menu or similar interactive element and therefore not immediately visible on the page report. In these cases try enabling and disabling JavaScript and/or CSS using the toggle buttons at the top of the page report.
Resolution
Use Show HTML mode
Switch the Page Report into "Show HTML" mode by clicking on the icon at the top of the Page Report. This will often show you where the link resides in the HTML, and reveal the link.
Search the HTML
If after switching to "Show HTML" the link is still not highlighting, try using the "Find" feature (Ctrl+F) in your browser to locate the link.
When searching for the link you may have more success performing a partial match on the link.
For example, if trying to find,
http://www.example.com/news/article/2015/02/news.html
perform a search for "news.html".
Toggle JavaScript and CSS
You should also try enabling and disabling JavaScript and/or CSS using the toggle buttons at the top of the page report.
Additional assistance
In some situations, it may require your developers to explain why the link is not visible, or you can always submit a support ticket and we can review it with you.
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