Dead links inside the app
Check PB-33 · App Store Review Guideline 2.1 · Probable rejection · verified 2026-09-16
Why App Review rejects under Guideline 2.1
2.1 is the single most common rejection because it is a catch-all: crashes, dead links, placeholder content, a demo account that does not work, a feature the description promises but the build does not have. The reviewer runs the app on a real device for a few minutes and reports whatever breaks. The frustrating part is that most 2.1 rejections are mechanical and visible in the build before you upload: a framework that was not embedded (crash on launch), a support URL that returns 404, a leftover localhost address from development. Fix what they named, then look for what they did not name — on the next round they only re-check the diff.
How to fix it
Every link the reviewer can tap must open a working page (support, privacy policy, terms, help, in-app WebView pages). Fix or remove the URLs listed in the evidence, then rebuild — App Review opens them in Safari and rejects under 2.1 (App Completeness) when they 404. For links only visible inside a WKWebView, load that page on a device with the production build before submitting.
How RejectProof detects it
The scan reads your .ipa in the browser (or locally with npx rejectproof): Info.plist, entitlements, the privacy manifest, embedded frameworks and the executable itself. Check PB-33 reports the exact evidence it found — the key, the symbol, the file or the URL — so you can confirm it in your own project before changing anything. Nothing is uploaded; only a small redacted summary is sent to build the report, and you see it first.
Related Guideline 2.1 checks
- PB-30 Development server references left in the build
- PB-34 Embedded framework missing — crash on launch
- PB-35 Missing arm64 slice / unsupported architecture
- PB-36 Minimum iOS in Info.plist does not match the binary
- PB-42 WKWebView links open in a new window but nothing handles the popup
- PB-43 Localized resources shipped but CFBundleLocalizations not declared