An orphaned URL (or orphan page) is a page on a website that has no internal links pointing to it from anywhere else on the site, making it difficult or impossible for both users and search engine crawlers to discover through normal navigation.
Orphaned pages commonly result from site redesigns, content migrations, or simply forgetting to link to newly published content, and they can exist for a long time without site owners even realizing they’re effectively invisible.
Regular technical audits using a crawling tool combined with sitemap and analytics data can help identify orphaned pages, allowing site owners to either add appropriate internal links or reconsider whether the page still serves a purpose.
Identifying orphaned pages is a standard part of our Technical SEO audits.