diff --git a/tools/check_external_links.js b/tools/check_external_links.js
index a3bff599..5cf9d667 100644
--- a/tools/check_external_links.js
+++ b/tools/check_external_links.js
@@ -76,18 +76,30 @@ const MAX_REDIRECTS = Math.max(
 );
 const DEFAULT_USER_AGENT = buildUserAgent(settings.userAgent);
 const IGNORE_HOSTS = parseIgnoreHosts(settings.ignoreHosts);
-const PLAYWRIGHT_ENABLED = settings.usePlaywright === true;
+const PLAYWRIGHT_RESOLUTION =
+  settings.usePlaywright === true
+    ? resolvePlaywrightExecutable(settings.playwrightExecutablePath)
+    : { path: null, missing: null };
+const PLAYWRIGHT_EXECUTABLE = PLAYWRIGHT_RESOLUTION.path;
+const PLAYWRIGHT_ENABLED = settings.usePlaywright === true && !PLAYWRIGHT_RESOLUTION.missing;
+if (settings.usePlaywright === true && PLAYWRIGHT_RESOLUTION.missing) {
+  console.warn(
+    [
+      "Playwright désactivé : impossible de trouver l'exécutable demandé",
+      `"${PLAYWRIGHT_RESOLUTION.missing}".`,
+      `Corrigez externalLinks.playwrightExecutablePath dans ${path.relative(
+        SITE_ROOT,
+        CONFIG_PATH
+      )} pour rétablir la vérification enrichie.`,
+    ].join(" ")
+  );
+}
 const PLAYWRIGHT_TIMEOUT_MS = Math.max(
   1000,
   (Number.isFinite(Number(settings.playwrightTimeoutSeconds))
     ? Number(settings.playwrightTimeoutSeconds)
     : DEFAULT_CONFIG.playwrightTimeoutSeconds) * 1000
 );
-const PLAYWRIGHT_EXECUTABLE =
-  typeof settings.playwrightExecutablePath === "string" &&
-  settings.playwrightExecutablePath.trim().length > 0
-    ? settings.playwrightExecutablePath.trim()
-    : null;
 const PLAYWRIGHT_RECHECK_STATUSES = new Set([403, 426, 429, 502]);
 
 const CACHE_TTL_SUCCESS_MS = daysToMs(
@@ -181,6 +193,50 @@ function parseIgnoreHosts(raw) {
   return set;
 }
 
+// Résout l'exécutable Playwright défini dans la configuration, en tolérant un simple nom présent dans PATH.
+function resolvePlaywrightExecutable(rawPath) {
+  if (typeof rawPath !== "string") {
+    return { path: null, missing: null };
+  }
+  const trimmed = rawPath.trim();
+  if (!trimmed) {
+    return { path: null, missing: null };
+  }
+  if (fs.existsSync(trimmed)) {
+    return { path: trimmed, missing: null };
+  }
+  if (!containsPathSeparator(trimmed)) {
+    const resolved = findExecutableInPath(trimmed);
+    if (resolved) {
+      return { path: resolved, missing: null };
+    }
+  }
+  return { path: null, missing: trimmed };
+}
+
+function containsPathSeparator(value) {
+  return value.includes("/") || value.includes("\\");
+}
+
+// Parcourt la variable d'environnement PATH pour retrouver un binaire par son nom.
+function findExecutableInPath(binaryName) {
+  if (typeof binaryName !== "string" || !binaryName.trim()) {
+    return null;
+  }
+  const searchPath = process.env.PATH || "";
+  const directories = searchPath.split(path.delimiter);
+  for (const directory of directories) {
+    if (!directory) {
+      continue;
+    }
+    const candidate = path.join(directory, binaryName);
+    if (fs.existsSync(candidate)) {
+      return candidate;
+    }
+  }
+  return null;
+}
+
 function daysToMs(days) {
   if (!Number.isFinite(days) || days <= 0) {
     return 0;