### Install LinkValidator using Bash script

Source: https://github.com/aaronontheweb/link-validator/blob/dev/README.md

Recommended installation method for Linux/macOS using a Bash script to download and install the tool.

```bash
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Aaronontheweb/link-validator/dev/install.sh | bash
```

--------------------------------

### Multi-stage Docker Build with Link Validation

Source: https://github.com/aaronontheweb/link-validator/blob/dev/docs/cicd-integration.md

Integrate link validation into a multi-stage Docker build process. This example demonstrates installing LinkValidator, building a site, validating its links, and then copying the validated site into a production Nginx image.

```docker
# Build stage
FROM node:18-alpine AS builder
WORKDIR /app
COPY package*.json ./
RUN npm ci --only=production

COPY . .
RUN npm run build

# Validation stage
FROM node:18-alpine AS validator
WORKDIR /app

# Install LinkValidator
RUN apk add --no-cache curl bash powershell && \
    curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Aaronontheweb/link-validator/main/install.sh | bash -s -- --dir /usr/local/bin

# Copy built site
COPY --from=builder /app/dist ./

# Validate links before final image
RUN npm install -g http-server && \
    http-server ./dist -p 8080 -s & \
    SERVER_PID=$! && \
    sleep 5 && \
    link-validator --url http://localhost:8080 \
                   --output /tmp/sitemap.md \
                   --strict \
                   --max-external-retries 2 \
                   --retry-delay-seconds 5 && \
    kill $SERVER_PID

# Production stage
FROM nginx:alpine
COPY --from=builder /app/dist /usr/share/nginx/html
COPY --from=validator /tmp/sitemap.md /usr/share/nginx/html/sitemap.md

EXPOSE 80
CMD ["nginx", "-g", "daemon off;"]
```

--------------------------------

### Install LinkValidator (Windows PowerShell)

Source: https://context7.com/aaronontheweb/link-validator/llms.txt

Installs the link-validator tool using PowerShell. Options include default installation with PATH setup, custom installation path, or installation without adding to PATH.

```powershell
# Default installation with PATH setup
irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Aaronontheweb/link-validator/dev/install.ps1 | iex
```

```powershell
# Install to custom location
irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Aaronontheweb/link-validator/dev/install.ps1 | iex -ArgumentList ",InstallPath", "C:\\tools\\linkvalidator"
```

```powershell
# Install without adding to PATH
irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Aaronontheweb/link-validator/dev/install.ps1 | iex -ArgumentList "-SkipPath"
```

--------------------------------

### Development environment setup

Source: https://github.com/aaronontheweb/link-validator/blob/dev/README.md

Commands to clone, build, and run the project locally.

```bash
# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/Aaronontheweb/link-validator.git
cd link-validator

# Install .NET 9 SDK
# Build and test
dotnet build
dotnet test

# Run locally
dotnet run --project src/LinkValidator -- --url https://example.com
```

--------------------------------

### Install LinkValidator using PowerShell script

Source: https://github.com/aaronontheweb/link-validator/blob/dev/README.md

Recommended installation method for Windows using a PowerShell script to download and install the tool.

```powershell
irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Aaronontheweb/link-validator/dev/install.ps1 | iex
```

--------------------------------

### Authenticated CI/CD Example

Source: https://github.com/aaronontheweb/link-validator/blob/dev/README.md

Example configuration for GitHub Actions using authentication cookies.

```yaml
- name: "Get auth cookie"
  run: curl -c cookies.txt -L -s http://localhost:5000/dev-login

- name: "Validate links"
  run: |
    link-validator \
      --url http://localhost:5000 \
      --cookie-file cookies.txt \
      --output link-report.md \
      --max-external-retries 3
```

--------------------------------

### Common CLI Examples

Source: https://github.com/aaronontheweb/link-validator/blob/dev/README.md

Standard commands for crawling, saving reports, and CI integration.

```bash
link-validator --url https://aaronstannard.com
```

```bash
link-validator --url https://aaronstannard.com --output sitemap.md
```

```bash
link-validator --url https://aaronstannard.com --strict
```

```bash
# First crawl
link-validator --url https://aaronstannard.com --output baseline.md
```

--------------------------------

### Install LinkValidator to custom location (Bash)

Source: https://github.com/aaronontheweb/link-validator/blob/dev/README.md

Advanced installation option for Linux/macOS to install LinkValidator to a specified directory.

```bash
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Aaronontheweb/link-validator/dev/install.sh | bash -s -- --dir ~/.local/bin
```

--------------------------------

### Install and Run LinkValidator in GitHub Actions

Source: https://github.com/aaronontheweb/link-validator/blob/dev/README.md

Use these steps to install the tool and validate links within a CI pipeline.

```yaml
- name: Install LinkValidator
  run: curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Aaronontheweb/link-validator/dev/install.sh | bash

- name: Validate Links
  run: link-validator --url http://localhost:3000 --strict
```

--------------------------------

### Install LinkValidator without adding to PATH (Bash)

Source: https://github.com/aaronontheweb/link-validator/blob/dev/README.md

Advanced installation option for Linux/macOS to install LinkValidator without automatically adding the installation directory to the system PATH.

```bash
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Aaronontheweb/link-validator/dev/install.sh | bash -s -- --skip-path
```

--------------------------------

### Install LinkValidator without adding to PATH (PowerShell)

Source: https://github.com/aaronontheweb/link-validator/blob/dev/README.md

Advanced installation option for Windows to install LinkValidator without automatically adding the installation directory to the system PATH.

```powershell
irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Aaronontheweb/link-validator/dev/install.ps1 | iex -ArgumentList "-SkipPath"
```

--------------------------------

### Docker Installation for Link Validator

Source: https://github.com/aaronontheweb/link-validator/blob/dev/docs/cicd-integration.md

Installs the Link Validator tool within a Docker container using an Alpine-based image.

```dockerfile
FROM mcr.microsoft.com/dotnet/runtime:9.0-alpine AS base
WORKDIR /app

# Install LinkValidator
RUN apk add --no-cache curl bash && \
    curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Aaronontheweb/link-validator/main/install.sh | bash -s -- --dir /usr/local/bin
```

--------------------------------

### Crawl a website with LinkValidator

Source: https://github.com/aaronontheweb/link-validator/blob/dev/README.md

Basic command to start crawling a website and validating its links.

```bash
link-validator --url https://example.com
```

--------------------------------

### Install LinkValidator to custom location (PowerShell)

Source: https://github.com/aaronontheweb/link-validator/blob/dev/README.md

Advanced installation option for Windows to install LinkValidator to a specified directory without adding it to the system PATH.

```powershell
irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Aaronontheweb/link-validator/dev/install.ps1 | iex -ArgumentList "-InstallPath", "C:\tools\linkvalidator"
```

--------------------------------

### CircleCI: Install LinkValidator

Source: https://github.com/aaronontheweb/link-validator/blob/dev/docs/cicd-integration.md

A CircleCI job to install the LinkValidator binary into a specified directory. This step ensures the validator is available for subsequent jobs in the pipeline.

```yaml
version: 2.1

executors:
  node-executor:
    docker:
      - image: cimg/node:18.17
    working_directory: ~/

jobs:
  install_linkvalidator:
    executor: node-executor
    steps:
      - checkout
      - run:
          name: Install LinkValidator
          command: |
            curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Aaronontheweb/link-validator/main/install.sh | bash -s -- --dir ~/linkvalidator
      - persist_to_workspace:
          root: ~/
          paths:
            - linkvalidator
```

--------------------------------

### Build Docker Image with Link Validator

Source: https://context7.com/aaronontheweb/link-validator/llms.txt

This Dockerfile defines stages for building and running the link validator. It installs necessary tools, downloads the validator, and then runs it against a local http-server instance.

```dockerfile
FROM node:18-alpine AS validator
WORKDIR /app
RUN apk add --no-cache curl bash && \
    curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Aaronontheweb/link-validator/main/install.sh | bash -s -- --dir /usr/local/bin
COPY --from=builder /app/dist ./dist
RUN npm install -g http-server && \
    http-server ./dist -p 8080 & \
    sleep 5 && \
    link-validator --url http://localhost:8080 \
                   --output /tmp/sitemap.md \
                   --strict \
                   --max-external-retries 2

# Production stage
FROM nginx:alpine
COPY --from=builder /app/dist /usr/share/nginx/html
COPY --from=validator /tmp/sitemap.md /usr/share/nginx/html/sitemap.md
EXPOSE 80
CMD ["nginx", "-g", "daemon off;"]
```

--------------------------------

### Build LinkValidator from Source

Source: https://context7.com/aaronontheweb/link-validator/llms.txt

Builds the link-validator tool from source code. Requires cloning the repository and having the .NET 9 SDK installed. Supports direct execution and publishing as a self-contained binary.

```bash
# Clone and build
git clone https://github.com/Aaronontheweb/link-validator.git
cd link-validator
```

```bash
# Run directly (requires .NET 9 SDK)
dotnet run --project src/LinkValidator -- --url https://example.com
```

```bash
# Publish as single-file binary
dotnet publish src/LinkValidator -c Release -r linux-x64 --self-contained false
# Binary at: src/LinkValidator/bin/Release/net9.0/linux-x64/publish/link-validator
```

```bash
# Run tests
dotnet test
```

--------------------------------

### Docker Multi-Stage Build for Link Validation

Source: https://context7.com/aaronontheweb/link-validator/llms.txt

Demonstrates using a Docker multi-stage build to validate links. The builder stage installs dependencies and builds the site, allowing for link validation before creating the final production image.

```dockerfile
# Build stage
FROM node:18-alpine AS builder
WORKDIR /app
COPY package*.json ./
RUN npm ci --only=production
COPY . .
RUN npm run build

```

--------------------------------

### GitLab CI Pipeline Configuration

Source: https://github.com/aaronontheweb/link-validator/blob/dev/docs/cicd-integration.md

Defines stages for installing the validator, building the site, and validating links within a GitLab CI environment.

```yaml
stages:
  - setup
  - build
  - validate

variables:
  LINK_VALIDATOR_MAX_EXTERNAL_RETRIES: "3"
  LINK_VALIDATOR_RETRY_DELAY_SECONDS: "10"

install_linkvalidator:
  stage: setup
  script:
    - curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Aaronontheweb/link-validator/main/install.sh | bash -s -- --dir ./linkvalidator
  artifacts:
    paths:
      - linkvalidator/
    expire_in: 1 hour

build_site:
  stage: build
  script:
    - npm install
    - npm run build
  artifacts:
    paths:
      - dist/
    expire_in: 1 hour

validate_links:
  stage: validate
  dependencies:
    - install_linkvalidator
    - build_site
  script:
    - npm run serve &
    - sleep 5
    - |
      if [ "$CI_COMMIT_REF_NAME" != "main" ] && [ -f baseline-sitemap.md ]; then
        ./linkvalidator/link-validator --url http://localhost:3000 \
          --output current-sitemap.md \
          --diff baseline-sitemap.md \
          --strict
      else
        ./linkvalidator/link-validator --url http://localhost:3000 \
          --output sitemap.md \
          --strict
      fi
  artifacts:
    when: always
    paths:
      - "*.md"
    reports:
      junit: sitemap.xml
  only:
    - main
    - merge_requests
```

--------------------------------

### CircleCI: Build Site

Source: https://github.com/aaronontheweb/link-validator/blob/dev/docs/cicd-integration.md

A CircleCI job to install project dependencies and build the site. It utilizes caching for npm dependencies to speed up subsequent builds.

```yaml
build_site:
    executor: node-executor
    steps:
      - checkout
      - restore_cache:
          keys:
            - npm-deps-{{ checksum "package-lock.json" }}
      - run:
          name: Install Dependencies
          command: npm ci
      - save_cache:
          key: npm-deps-{{ checksum "package-lock.json" }}
          paths:
            - node_modules
      - run:
          name: Build Site
          command: npm run build
      - persist_to_workspace:
          root: ~/project
          paths:
            - dist
```

--------------------------------

### Azure DevOps Pipeline for Link Validation

Source: https://github.com/aaronontheweb/link-validator/blob/dev/docs/cicd-integration.md

Configures a CI pipeline to download a baseline sitemap, install the link-validator, and run validation against a local build.

```yaml
trigger:
  branches:
    include:
    - main
    - develop

variables:
  linkValidatorVersion: 'latest'

stages:
- stage: ValidateLinks
  displayName: 'Link Validation'
  jobs:
  - job: Validate
    displayName: 'Validate Website Links'
    pool:
      vmImage: 'ubuntu-latest'
    
    steps:
    - checkout: self
      fetchDepth: 0
      
    - task: DownloadBuildArtifacts@1
      displayName: 'Download Baseline Sitemap'
      condition: ne(variables['Build.SourceBranch'], 'refs/heads/main')
      inputs:
        buildType: 'specific'
        project: '$(System.TeamProject)'
        pipeline: '$(System.DefinitionId)'
        buildVersionToDownload: 'latestFromBranch'
        branchName: 'refs/heads/main'
        downloadType: 'single'
        artifactName: 'baseline-sitemap'
        downloadPath: '$(System.ArtifactsDirectory)'
      continueOnError: true
      
    - task: Bash@3
      displayName: 'Install and Configure LinkValidator'
      inputs:
        targetType: 'inline'
        script: |
          curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Aaronontheweb/link-validator/main/install.sh | bash -s -- --version $(linkValidatorVersion)
          echo "##vso[task.prependpath]$HOME/.linkvalidator"
          
          # Set environment variables for retry configuration
          echo "##vso[task.setvariable variable=LINK_VALIDATOR_MAX_EXTERNAL_RETRIES]3"
          echo "##vso[task.setvariable variable=LINK_VALIDATOR_RETRY_DELAY_SECONDS]10"
          
    - task: Bash@3
      displayName: 'Validate Links with Baseline Comparison'
      inputs:
        targetType: 'inline'
        script: |
          # Build and start site
          npm ci
          npm run build
          npm run serve &
          SERVER_PID=$!
          sleep 10
          
          # Prepare validation command
          VALIDATION_CMD="link-validator --url http://localhost:3000 --output current-sitemap.md --strict"
          
          # Add baseline comparison if available
          if [ -f "$(System.ArtifactsDirectory)/baseline-sitemap/sitemap.md" ]; then
            VALIDATION_CMD="$VALIDATION_CMD --diff $(System.ArtifactsDirectory)/baseline-sitemap/sitemap.md"
            echo "Using baseline comparison"
          else
            echo "No baseline found, running without comparison"
          fi
          
          # Run validation
          eval $VALIDATION_CMD
          
          # Cleanup
          kill $SERVER_PID || true
          
    - task: PublishBuildArtifacts@1
      displayName: 'Publish Current Sitemap'
      condition: always()
      inputs:
        pathtoPublish: 'current-sitemap.md'
        artifactName: '$(Build.SourceBranchName == "main" && "baseline-sitemap" || "current-sitemap")'
```

--------------------------------

### Internal links report format

Source: https://github.com/aaronontheweb/link-validator/blob/dev/README.md

Example of the markdown table structure for internal link validation results.

```markdown
## Internal Links

| URL | Status | Status Code |
|-----|--------|-------------|
| https://example.com/ | ✅ Ok | 200 |
| https://example.com/about | ✅ Ok | 200 |
| https://example.com/missing | ❌ Error | 404 |
```

--------------------------------

### External links report format

Source: https://github.com/aaronontheweb/link-validator/blob/dev/README.md

Example of the markdown table structure for external link validation results.

```markdown
## External Links

| URL | Status | Status Code |
|-----|--------|-------------|
| https://github.com/example | ✅ Ok | 200 |
| https://api.example.com/v1 | ❌ Error | 500 |
| https://slow-service.com | ⏸️ Retry Scheduled | 429 |
```

--------------------------------

### Jenkins Pipeline for Link Validation

Source: https://github.com/aaronontheweb/link-validator/blob/dev/docs/cicd-integration.md

This pipeline installs the link-validator, builds and serves a static site, validates links, and cleans up. It conditionally uses a baseline sitemap for diffing links on branches other than 'main'.

```groovy
pipeline {
    agent any
    
    environment {
        LINK_VALIDATOR_MAX_EXTERNAL_RETRIES = '3'
        LINK_VALIDATOR_RETRY_DELAY_SECONDS = '15'
    }
    
    stages {
        stage('Install LinkValidator') {
            steps {
                sh '''
                    curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Aaronontheweb/link-validator/main/install.sh | bash -s -- --dir ./.linkvalidator
                '''
            }
        }
        
        stage('Build Site') {
            steps {
                sh '''
                    # Build your static site
                    npm install
                    npm run build
                    npm run serve & 
                    SERVER_PID=$!
                    echo $SERVER_PID > server.pid
                    sleep 5
                '''
            }
        }
        
        stage('Validate Links') {
            steps {
                script {
                    def baselineExists = fileExists('baseline-sitemap.md')
                    
                    if (baselineExists && env.BRANCH_NAME != 'main') {
                        sh '''
                            ./.linkvalidator/link-validator --url http://localhost:3000 \
                                --output current-sitemap.md \
                                --diff baseline-sitemap.md \
                                --strict
                        '''
                    } else {
                        sh '''
                            ./.linkvalidator/link-validator --url http://localhost:3000 \
                                --output sitemap.md \
                                --strict
                        '''
                    }
                }
            }
            post {
                always {
                    sh '''
                        if [ -f server.pid ]; then
                            kill $(cat server.pid) || true
                            rm server.pid
                        fi
                    '''
                    archiveArtifacts artifacts: '*.md', fingerprint: true
                }
                failure {
                    emailext (
                        subject: "Link Validation Failed: ${env.JOB_NAME} - ${env.BUILD_NUMBER}",
                        body: "Link validation failed for ${env.BUILD_URL}. Check the console output for details.",
                        to: "${env.CHANGE_AUTHOR_EMAIL}"
                    )
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

```

--------------------------------

### Azure DevOps Pipeline Integration

Source: https://github.com/aaronontheweb/link-validator/blob/dev/docs/cicd-integration.md

Pipeline configuration for Azure DevOps using Bash tasks to install and run LinkValidator with baseline comparison.

```yaml
trigger:
  branches:
    include:
    - main
    - develop

pool:
  vmImage: 'ubuntu-latest'

steps:
- task: Bash@3
  displayName: 'Install LinkValidator'
  inputs:
    targetType: 'inline'
    script: |
      curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Aaronontheweb/link-validator/main/install.sh | bash
      echo "##vso[task.prependpath]$HOME/.linkvalidator"

- task: Bash@3
  displayName: 'Build Site'
  inputs:
    targetType: 'inline'
    script: |
      # Start your local server
      npm run build
      npm run serve &
      sleep 5

- task: Bash@3
  displayName: 'Validate Links'
  inputs:
    targetType: 'inline'
    script: |
      # Validate with comparison against baseline
      link-validator --url http://localhost:3000 \
        --output current-sitemap.md \
        --diff baseline-sitemap.md \
        --strict \
        --max-external-retries 5 \
        --retry-delay-seconds 10

- task: PublishBuildArtifacts@1
  displayName: 'Publish Sitemap'
  condition: always()
  inputs:
    pathtoPublish: 'current-sitemap.md'
    artifactName: 'sitemap'
```

--------------------------------

### Declarative Jenkins Pipeline with Parallel Validation

Source: https://github.com/aaronontheweb/link-validator/blob/dev/docs/cicd-integration.md

Configures a Jenkins pipeline to install the validator, build the site, and run validation with optional baseline comparison.

```groovy
pipeline {
    agent any
    
    parameters {
        choice(name: 'VALIDATION_MODE', choices: ['strict', 'warning'], description: 'Link validation mode')
        string(name: 'MAX_RETRIES', defaultValue: '3', description: 'Maximum external link retries')
        string(name: 'RETRY_DELAY', defaultValue: '10', description: 'Retry delay in seconds')
    }
    
    stages {
        stage('Setup') {
            parallel {
                stage('Install LinkValidator') {
                    steps {
                        sh '''
                            curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Aaronontheweb/link-validator/main/install.sh | bash -s -- --dir ./tools/linkvalidator
                        '''
                    }
                }
                
                stage('Download Baseline') {
                    when {
                        not { branch 'main' }
                    }
                    steps {
                        copyArtifacts(
                            projectName: env.JOB_NAME,
                            selector: lastSuccessful(),
                            target: 'baseline/',
                            optional: true,
                            filter: 'sitemap.md'
                        )
                    }
                }
            }
        }
        
        stage('Build and Validate') {
            steps {
                sh '''
                    # Build site
                    npm ci
                    npm run build
                    npm run serve &
                    echo $! > server.pid
                    sleep 10
                    
                    # Prepare validation command
                    VALIDATION_CMD="./tools/linkvalidator/link-validator --url http://localhost:3000 --output sitemap.md"
                    VALIDATION_CMD="$VALIDATION_CMD --max-external-retries ${MAX_RETRIES}"
                    VALIDATION_CMD="$VALIDATION_CMD --retry-delay-seconds ${RETRY_DELAY}"
                    
                    # Add strict mode if selected
                    if [ "${VALIDATION_MODE}" = "strict" ]; then
                        VALIDATION_CMD="$VALIDATION_CMD --strict"
                    fi
                    
                    # Add baseline comparison if available
                    if [ -f "baseline/sitemap.md" ]; then
                        VALIDATION_CMD="$VALIDATION_CMD --diff baseline/sitemap.md"
                    fi
                    
                    # Run validation
                    echo "Running: $VALIDATION_CMD"
                    eval $VALIDATION_CMD
                '''
            }
            post {
                always {
                    sh '''
                        if [ -f server.pid ]; then
                            kill $(cat server.pid) || true
                        fi
                    '''
                }
            }
        }
    }
    
    post {
        always {
            archiveArtifacts artifacts: 'sitemap.md', fingerprint: true
            
            publishHTML([
                allowMissing: false,
                alwaysLinkToLastBuild: true,
                keepAll: true,
                reportDir: '.',
                reportFiles: 'sitemap.md',
                reportName: 'Link Validation Report'
            ])
        }
    }
}
```

--------------------------------

### GitHub Actions: Basic Link Validation

Source: https://context7.com/aaronontheweb/link-validator/llms.txt

A basic GitHub Actions workflow to validate links on a static site during pull requests. It checks out the code, installs the validator, builds and serves the site, validates links, and uploads the sitemap as an artifact.

```yaml
name: Link Validation

on:
  push:
    branches: [ main ]
  pull_request:
    branches: [ main ]

jobs:
  validate-links:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
    - name: Checkout
      uses: actions/checkout@v4

    - name: Install LinkValidator
      run: |
        curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Aaronontheweb/link-validator/main/install.sh | bash
        echo "$HOME/.linkvalidator" >> $GITHUB_PATH

    - name: Build and Serve Site
      run: |
        npm install && npm run build
        npm run serve &
        sleep 10

    - name: Validate Links
      run: link-validator --url http://localhost:3000 --output sitemap.md --strict

    - name: Upload Sitemap Artifact
      if: always()
      uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
      with:
        name: sitemap
        path: sitemap.md
```

--------------------------------

### CircleCI: Validate Links

Source: https://github.com/aaronontheweb/link-validator/blob/dev/docs/cicd-integration.md

A CircleCI job that starts a local server, validates links using LinkValidator, and cleans up. It conditionally performs a diff against a baseline if not on the main branch.

```yaml
validate_links:
    executor: node-executor
    steps:
      - checkout
      - attach_workspace:
          at: ~/
      - attach_workspace:
          at: ~/project
      - run:
          name: Start Local Server
          command: |
            npm install -g http-server
            http-server ~/project/dist -p 8080 & 
            echo $! > server.pid
            sleep 5
      - run:
          name: Validate Links
          command: |
            export PATH=~/linkvalidator:$PATH
            export LINK_VALIDATOR_MAX_EXTERNAL_RETRIES=3
            export LINK_VALIDATOR_RETRY_DELAY_SECONDS=10
            
            if [ "$CIRCLE_BRANCH" != "main" ] && [ -f baseline-sitemap.md ]; then
              link-validator --url http://localhost:8080 \
                --output current-sitemap.md \
                --diff baseline-sitemap.md \
                --strict
            else
              link-validator --url http://localhost:8080 \
                --output sitemap.md \
                --strict
            fi
      - run:
          name: Cleanup
          command: |
            if [ -f server.pid ]; then
              kill $(cat server.pid) || true
            fi
          when: always
      - store_artifacts:
          path: ~/project/*.md
          destination: sitemaps
```

--------------------------------

### Azure DevOps: Link Validation Integration

Source: https://context7.com/aaronontheweb/link-validator/llms.txt

Integrates link validation into an Azure DevOps pipeline. It installs the link-validator tool, serves the site, performs validation with custom retry settings, and publishes the resulting sitemap as a build artifact.

```yaml
trigger:
  branches:
    include:
    - main
    - develop

pool:
  vmImage: 'ubuntu-latest'

steps:
- task: Bash@3
  displayName: 'Install LinkValidator'
  inputs:
    targetType: 'inline'
    script: |
      curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Aaronontheweb/link-validator/main/install.sh | bash
      echo "##vso[task.prependpath]$HOME/.linkvalidator"

- task: Bash@3
  displayName: 'Validate Links'
  inputs:
    targetType: 'inline'
    script: |
      npm run serve &
      sleep 5
      link-validator --url http://localhost:3000 \
        --output current-sitemap.md \
        --strict \
        --max-external-retries 5

- task: PublishBuildArtifacts@1
  displayName: 'Publish Sitemap'
  condition: always()
  inputs:
    pathtoPublish: 'current-sitemap.md'
    artifactName: 'sitemap'
```

--------------------------------

### Build and run LinkValidator from source

Source: https://github.com/aaronontheweb/link-validator/blob/dev/README.md

Instructions for building the LinkValidator project from source using the .NET CLI and running it locally.

```bash
git clone https://github.com/Aaronontheweb/link-validator.git
cd link-validator

# Build and run locally
dotnet run --project src/LinkValidator -- --url https://example.com

# Or publish as single-file binary
dotnet publish src/LinkValidator -c Release -r <RUNTIME> --self-contained false
# Where <RUNTIME> is: win-x64, linux-x64, osx-x64, or osx-arm64
```

--------------------------------

### Basic CLI Usage

Source: https://github.com/aaronontheweb/link-validator/blob/dev/README.md

The standard syntax for running the validator.

```bash
link-validator --url <URL> [OPTIONS]
```

--------------------------------

### Configure via Environment Variables

Source: https://github.com/aaronontheweb/link-validator/blob/dev/README.md

Override default settings using environment variables.

```bash
export LINK_VALIDATOR_MAX_EXTERNAL_RETRIES=5
export LINK_VALIDATOR_RETRY_DELAY_SECONDS=15
link-validator --url https://example.com
```

--------------------------------

### Run with debug logging

Source: https://github.com/aaronontheweb/link-validator/blob/dev/README.md

Executes the tool with output directed to a debug sitemap file.

```bash
# The tool outputs detailed logs during crawling
LinkValidator --url https://example.com --output debug-sitemap.md
```

--------------------------------

### CrawlerHelper API (.NET)

Source: https://context7.com/aaronontheweb/link-validator/llms.txt

Demonstrates how to use the CrawlerHelper in .NET to programmatically crawl websites, generate reports, and access crawl results.

```APIDOC
## CrawlerHelper API (.NET)

### Description
Use the crawler programmatically in .NET applications to integrate link validation into custom tooling or tests. This API allows for detailed control over the crawling process and access to the results.

### Usage

1.  **Initialize Actor System**: Create an Akka Actor System.
2.  **Define Base URL**: Specify the starting URL for the crawl.
3.  **Configure Crawl Settings**: Set parameters like concurrency, timeouts, retries, and cookies.
4.  **Execute Crawl**: Call `CrawlerHelper.CrawlWebsite` with the system, base URL, and settings.
5.  **Generate Markdown Report**: Use `MarkdownHelper.GenerateMarkdown` to create a report from the crawl results.
6.  **Access Results Programmatically**: Iterate through `CrawlReport` to get link details and status codes.
7.  **Check for Broken Links**: Filter results to identify links with status codes >= 400.
8.  **Terminate Actor System**: Clean up resources by terminating the actor system.

### Code Example

```csharp
using Akka.Actor;
using LinkValidator.Actors;
using LinkValidator.Util;
using static LinkValidator.Util.MarkdownHelper;

// Create actor system
var system = ActorSystem.Create("CrawlerSystem", "akka.loglevel = INFO");
var baseUrl = new AbsoluteUri(new Uri("https://example.com"));

// Configure crawl settings
var crawlSettings = new CrawlConfiguration(
    BaseUrl: baseUrl,
    MaxInflightRequests: 10,           // Concurrent requests per domain
    RequestTimeout: TimeSpan.FromSeconds(5),
    MaxExternalRetries: 3,             // Retries for 429 responses
    DefaultExternalRetryDelay: TimeSpan.FromSeconds(10),
    Cookies: null                       // Optional CookieContainer for auth
);

// Execute crawl
CrawlReport results = await CrawlerHelper.CrawlWebsite(system, baseUrl, crawlSettings);

// Generate markdown report
string markdown = GenerateMarkdown(results);
await File.WriteAllTextAsync("sitemap.md", markdown);

// Access results programmatically
foreach (var (url, record) in results.InternalLinks)
{
    Console.WriteLine($"{url}: {record.StatusCode}");
    // record.LinksToPage contains pages that link to this URL
}

// Check for broken links
var brokenLinks = results.InternalLinks
    .Concat(results.ExternalLinks)
    .Where(kvp => (int)kvp.Value.StatusCode >= 400);

await system.Terminate();
```
```

--------------------------------

### Basic Website Crawl with LinkValidator

Source: https://context7.com/aaronontheweb/link-validator/llms.txt

Crawl a website and output link validation results to the terminal or a file. Use --strict mode to fail builds on broken links.

```bash
# Basic crawl - outputs results to terminal
link-validator --url https://example.com
```

```bash
# Crawl with saved output
link-validator --url https://example.com --output sitemap.md
```

```bash
# Strict mode - exits with error code 1 if broken links found
link-validator --url https://example.com --output sitemap.md --strict
```

--------------------------------

### Crawl with Cookie File

Source: https://github.com/aaronontheweb/link-validator/blob/dev/README.md

Run the validator using a previously generated cookie file.

```bash
link-validator --url http://localhost:5000 --cookie-file cookies.txt --output report.md
```

--------------------------------

### Crawl Website with CrawlerHelper API (.NET)

Source: https://context7.com/aaronontheweb/link-validator/llms.txt

Integrates link validation into .NET applications. Configure crawl settings like concurrency, timeouts, and retries, then execute the crawl and generate a markdown report.

```csharp
using Akka.Actor;
using LinkValidator.Actors;
using LinkValidator.Util;
using static LinkValidator.Util.MarkdownHelper;

// Create actor system
var system = ActorSystem.Create("CrawlerSystem", "akka.loglevel = INFO");
var baseUrl = new AbsoluteUri(new Uri("https://example.com"));

// Configure crawl settings
var crawlSettings = new CrawlConfiguration(
    BaseUrl: baseUrl,
    MaxInflightRequests: 10,           // Concurrent requests per domain
    RequestTimeout: TimeSpan.FromSeconds(5),
    MaxExternalRetries: 3,             // Retries for 429 responses
    DefaultExternalRetryDelay: TimeSpan.FromSeconds(10),
    Cookies: null                       // Optional CookieContainer for auth
);

// Execute crawl
CrawlReport results = await CrawlerHelper.CrawlWebsite(system, baseUrl, crawlSettings);

// Generate markdown report
string markdown = GenerateMarkdown(results);
await File.WriteAllTextAsync("sitemap.md", markdown);

// Access results programmatically
foreach (var (url, record) in results.InternalLinks)
{
    Console.WriteLine($"{url}: {record.StatusCode}");
    // record.LinksToPage contains pages that link to this URL
}

// Check for broken links
var brokenLinks = results.InternalLinks
    .Concat(results.ExternalLinks)
    .Where(kvp => (int)kvp.Value.StatusCode >= 400);

await system.Terminate();
```

--------------------------------

### Dockerfile for Link Validator

Source: https://context7.com/aaronontheweb/link-validator/llms.txt

This Dockerfile outlines the build process for the Link Validator, including stages for validation and production.

```APIDOC
## Dockerfile for Link Validator

### Description
This Dockerfile defines the build process for the Link Validator application. It includes stages for installing dependencies, building the validator, and setting up the production environment using Nginx.

### Stages

1.  **Validator Stage**: Installs `curl`, `bash`, downloads and installs `link-validator`, installs `http-server`, and runs the link validator against a local server.
2.  **Production Stage**: Uses an Nginx image, copies the built application and the generated sitemap, and exposes port 80.

### Build Commands (Example)
```bash
docker build -t link-validator .
```

### Run Command (Example)
```bash
docker run -p 80:80 link-validator
```
```

--------------------------------

### Configure custom retry settings

Source: https://github.com/aaronontheweb/link-validator/blob/dev/README.md

Sets retry limits and delays for external link requests.

```bash
link-validator --url https://example.com \
  --max-external-retries 5 \
  --retry-delay-seconds 30
```

--------------------------------

### Compare Sitemaps with Diff Helper (.NET)

Source: https://context7.com/aaronontheweb/link-validator/llms.txt

Compares two sitemap markdown files to detect changes between crawl runs. It identifies missing pages, new pages, and flags errors if new pages have status codes >= 400.

```csharp
using LinkValidator.Util;

string previousSitemap = await File.ReadAllTextAsync("baseline.md");
string currentSitemap = await File.ReadAllTextAsync("current.md");

var (differences, hasErrors) = DiffHelper.CompareSitemapsWithErrors(previousSitemap, currentSitemap);

foreach (var diff in differences)
{
    Console.WriteLine(diff);
    // Output examples:
    // "Missing: | `/old-page` | 200 | `/` |"
    // "New: | `/new-page` | 404 | `/about` |"
}

if (hasErrors)
{
    // hasErrors is true when:
    // - Pages that existed before are now missing
    // - New pages have status codes >= 400
    Environment.Exit(1);
}
```

--------------------------------

### Acquire Session Cookies

Source: https://github.com/aaronontheweb/link-validator/blob/dev/README.md

Use curl to generate a cookie file for authenticated crawling.

```bash
# For apps with a dev/test login endpoint
curl -c cookies.txt -L http://localhost:5000/dev-login

# For apps with a form-based login
curl -c cookies.txt -L -d "username=admin&password=secret" http://localhost:5000/login

# For APIs that return a Set-Cookie header
curl -c cookies.txt -X POST http://localhost:5000/api/auth/login \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"email":"admin@example.com","password":"secret"}'
```

--------------------------------

### Configure retries via environment variables

Source: https://github.com/aaronontheweb/link-validator/blob/dev/README.md

Uses environment variables to define retry behavior instead of command-line flags.

```bash
export LINK_VALIDATOR_MAX_EXTERNAL_RETRIES=10
export LINK_VALIDATOR_RETRY_DELAY_SECONDS=5
link-validator --url https://example.com --strict
```

--------------------------------

### Baseline Comparison for Link Validation

Source: https://context7.com/aaronontheweb/link-validator/llms.txt

Compare current crawl results against a baseline to detect new broken links or missing pages. Requires creating a baseline first, then performing a comparison with the --diff flag.

```bash
# First, create a baseline
link-validator --url https://example.com --output baseline.md
```

```bash
# Later, compare against baseline
link-validator --url https://example.com --output current.md --diff baseline.md --strict
```

```text
# Expected output when differences found:
# Missing: | `/about` | 200 | `/` |
# New: | `/contact` | 404 | `/` |
```

--------------------------------

### Cookie File Parser (.NET)

Source: https://context7.com/aaronontheweb/link-validator/llms.txt

Explains how to parse Netscape/Mozilla format cookie files using `CookieFileParser` for authenticated crawling.

```APIDOC
## Cookie File Parser (.NET)

### Description
Parse Netscape/Mozilla format cookie files for authenticated crawling scenarios. This utility helps in loading existing cookies into a `CookieContainer` for use during website crawls.

### Usage

1.  **Provide Cookie File Path**: Specify the path to the cookie file.
2.  **Parse File**: Use `CookieFileParser.Parse()` to load cookies into a `CookieContainer`.
3.  **Use with Crawl Configuration**: Pass the resulting `CookieContainer` to the `CrawlConfiguration`.

### Example Cookie File Format

```
.example.com    TRUE    /    FALSE    1735689600    session_id    abc123
#HttpOnly_.example.com    TRUE    /    TRUE    0    auth_token    xyz789
```

### Code Example

```csharp
using System.Net;
using LinkValidator.Util;

// Parse cookie file (format: domain TAB flag TAB path TAB secure TAB expiry TAB name TAB value)
// Example cookies.txt:
// .example.com    TRUE    /    FALSE    1735689600    session_id    abc123
// #HttpOnly_.example.com    TRUE    /    TRUE    0    auth_token    xyz789

CookieContainer cookies = CookieFileParser.Parse("cookies.txt");

// Use with crawl configuration
var crawlSettings = new CrawlConfiguration(
    BaseUrl: new AbsoluteUri(new Uri("https://example.com")),
    MaxInflightRequests: 10,
    RequestTimeout: TimeSpan.FromSeconds(5),
    Cookies: cookies  // Pass the parsed cookies
);
```
```

--------------------------------

### Run link validation with comparison

Source: https://github.com/aaronontheweb/link-validator/blob/dev/README.md

Performs a crawl and compares results against a baseline file in strict mode.

```bash
link-validator --url https://aaronstannard.com --output current.md --diff baseline.md --strict
```

--------------------------------

### Diff Helper (.NET)

Source: https://context7.com/aaronontheweb/link-validator/llms.txt

Details the `DiffHelper` utility for comparing two sitemap markdown reports to identify changes and errors between crawl runs.

```APIDOC
## Diff Helper (.NET)

### Description
Compare two sitemap outputs to detect changes between crawl runs. This utility is useful for identifying regressions or new issues introduced in website content or structure.

### Usage

1.  **Read Sitemap Files**: Load the previous and current sitemap markdown files into strings.
2.  **Compare Sitemaps**: Use `DiffHelper.CompareSitemapsWithErrors` to get a list of differences and an error flag.
3.  **Process Differences**: Iterate through the returned differences and log them.
4.  **Check for Errors**: Use the `hasErrors` flag to determine if critical changes (e.g., missing pages, new broken pages) have occurred.

### Output Examples

-   `"Missing: | `/old-page` | 200 | `/` |"
-   `"New: | `/new-page` | 404 | `/about` |"

### Error Conditions

-   Pages that existed in the previous report are now missing.
-   New pages introduced have status codes of 400 or higher.

### Code Example

```csharp
using LinkValidator.Util;

string previousSitemap = await File.ReadAllTextAsync("baseline.md");
string currentSitemap = await File.ReadAllTextAsync("current.md");

var (differences, hasErrors) = DiffHelper.CompareSitemapsWithErrors(previousSitemap, currentSitemap);

foreach (var diff in differences)
{
    Console.WriteLine(diff);
    // Output examples:
    // "Missing: | `/old-page` | 200 | `/` |"
    // "New: | `/new-page` | 404 | `/about` |"
}

if (hasErrors)
{
    // hasErrors is true when:
    // - Pages that existed before are now missing
    // - New pages have status codes >= 400
    Environment.Exit(1);
}
```
```

--------------------------------

### GitHub Actions: Advanced Link Validation with Baseline

Source: https://context7.com/aaronontheweb/link-validator/llms.txt

An advanced GitHub Actions workflow for link validation that includes baseline comparison to detect regressions. It handles authentication, downloads a baseline sitemap, performs validation, and uploads artifacts for both PRs and baselines.

```yaml
name: Advanced Link Validation

on:
  push:
    branches: [ main ]
  pull_request:
    branches: [ main ]

jobs:
  validate-links:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
    - uses: actions/checkout@v4

    - name: Install LinkValidator
      run: |
        curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Aaronontheweb/link-validator/main/install.sh | bash
        echo "$HOME/.linkvalidator" >> $GITHUB_PATH

    - name: Get Auth Cookie
      run: curl -c cookies.txt -L -s http://localhost:5000/dev-login

    - name: Download Baseline
      if: github.event_name == 'pull_request'
      run: gh run download --name sitemap-baseline --repo ${{ github.repository }} || echo "No baseline"
      env:
        GH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}

    - name: Validate Links
      run: |
        if [ -f "baseline-sitemap.md" ] && [ "${{ github.event_name }}" == "pull_request" ]; then
          link-validator --url http://localhost:3000 \
            --output current-sitemap.md \
            --diff baseline-sitemap.md \
            --cookie-file cookies.txt \
            --strict
        else
          link-validator --url http://localhost:3000 \
            --output sitemap.md \
            --cookie-file cookies.txt \
            --strict
        fi

    - name: Upload Artifact
      if: always()
      uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
      with:
        name: sitemap-${{ github.event_name == 'pull_request' && 'pr' || 'baseline' }}
        path: "*.md"
```

--------------------------------

### Save results and enable strict mode

Source: https://github.com/aaronontheweb/link-validator/blob/dev/README.md

Command to save crawl results to a markdown file and enable strict mode, suitable for CI environments.

```bash
link-validator --url https://example.com --output sitemap.md --strict
```

--------------------------------

### Configure Retry Behavior for LinkValidator

Source: https://context7.com/aaronontheweb/link-validator/llms.txt

Customize retry settings for external links returning 429 errors using CLI flags or environment variables. The tool respects Retry-After headers and adds jitter.

```bash
# Custom retry settings via CLI flags
link-validator --url https://example.com \
  --max-external-retries 5 \
  --retry-delay-seconds 30
```

```bash
# Custom retry settings via environment variables
export LINK_VALIDATOR_MAX_EXTERNAL_RETRIES=5
export LINK_VALIDATOR_RETRY_DELAY_SECONDS=15
link-validator --url https://example.com --strict
```

--------------------------------

### Compare crawl results with LinkValidator

Source: https://github.com/aaronontheweb/link-validator/blob/dev/README.md

Command to compare current crawl results against a previous run, outputting differences to a new markdown file.

```bash
link-validator --url https://example.com --output new-sitemap.md --diff old-sitemap.md --strict
```

--------------------------------

### CircleCI Workflow Definition

Source: https://github.com/aaronontheweb/link-validator/blob/dev/docs/cicd-integration.md

Defines a CircleCI workflow named 'build_and_validate' that orchestrates the execution of 'install_linkvalidator', 'build_site', and 'validate_links' jobs in sequence.

```yaml
workflows:
  version: 2
  build_and_validate:
    jobs:
      - install_linkvalidator
      - build_site
      - validate_links:
          requires:
            - install_linkvalidator
            - build_site
```

--------------------------------

### GitHub Actions Advanced Link Validation

Source: https://github.com/aaronontheweb/link-validator/blob/dev/docs/cicd-integration.md

A comprehensive workflow featuring baseline sitemap comparison, retry logic, and automated PR commenting on failure.

```yaml
name: Advanced Link Validation

on:
  push:
    branches: [ main ]
  pull_request:
    branches: [ main ]

jobs:
  validate-links:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
    - name: Checkout
      uses: actions/checkout@v4
      
    - name: Install LinkValidator
      run: |
        curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Aaronontheweb/link-validator/main/install.sh | bash
        echo "$HOME/.linkvalidator" >> $GITHUB_PATH
        
    - name: Build Site
      run: |
        # Your site build process here
        npm install
        npm run build
        npm run serve &
        sleep 10
        
    - name: Download baseline sitemap
      if: github.event_name == 'pull_request'
      run: |
        # Download baseline from main branch artifact
        gh run download --name sitemap-baseline --repo ${{ github.repository }} || echo "No baseline found"
      env:
        GH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
        
    - name: Validate Links
      run: |
        if [ -f "baseline-sitemap.md" ] && [ "${{ github.event_name }}" == "pull_request" ]; then
          # Compare against baseline for PRs
          link-validator --url http://localhost:3000 \
            --output current-sitemap.md \
            --diff baseline-sitemap.md \
            --strict \
            --max-external-retries 3 \
            --retry-delay-seconds 5
        else
          # Just validate for main branch pushes
          link-validator --url http://localhost:3000 \
            --output sitemap.md \
            --strict
        fi
        
    - name: Upload sitemap artifact
      if: always()
      uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
      with:
        name: sitemap-${{ github.event_name == 'pull_request' && 'pr' || 'baseline' }}
        path: |
          *.md
          
    - name: Comment PR with results
      if: failure() && github.event_name == 'pull_request'
      uses: actions/github-script@v7
      with:
        script: |
          github.rest.issues.createComment({
            issue_number: context.issue.number,
            owner: context.repo.owner,
            repo: context.repo.repo,
            body: '❌ Link validation failed! Check the workflow logs for details.'
          })
```

--------------------------------

### CLI Command: link-validator

Source: https://github.com/aaronontheweb/link-validator/blob/dev/README.md

The primary command-line interface for executing the link validation process.

```APIDOC
## CLI Command: link-validator

### Description
Executes the link validation crawler on a target URL.

### Method
CLI Execution

### Parameters
#### Query Parameters
- **--url** (string) - Required - The URL to crawl.
- **--output** (string) - Optional - Path to save the sitemap report file.
- **--diff** (string) - Optional - Path to a previous sitemap file for comparison.
- **--strict** (boolean) - Optional - Return error code if broken links are found.
- **--cookie-file** (string) - Optional - Path to a Netscape/Mozilla cookie file for authenticated crawling.
- **--max-external-retries** (integer) - Optional - Max retries for external 429 responses (Default: 3).
- **--retry-delay-seconds** (integer) - Optional - Default retry delay in seconds (Default: 10).
- **--help** (flag) - Optional - Show help information.
- **--version** (flag) - Optional - Show version information.

### Request Example
link-validator --url http://localhost:3000 --strict --output report.md
```