diff --git a/src/common/kiwix/reader.cpp b/src/common/kiwix/reader.cpp
index d64613fb4..395ad5e18 100644
--- a/src/common/kiwix/reader.cpp
+++ b/src/common/kiwix/reader.cpp
@@ -511,6 +511,15 @@ namespace kiwix {
     return retVal;
   }
 
+  /* Check if an article exists */
+  bool Reader::urlExists(const string &url) {
+    char ns = 0;
+    string titleStr;
+    this->parseUrl(url, &ns, titleStr);
+    zim::File::const_iterator findItr = zimFileHandler->find(ns, titleStr);
+    return findItr->getUrl() == titleStr;
+  }
+
   /* Search titles by prefix */
   bool Reader::searchSuggestions(const string &prefix, unsigned int suggestionsCount, const bool reset) {
     bool retVal = false;
diff --git a/src/common/kiwix/reader.h b/src/common/kiwix/reader.h
index 8e0e3a79f..c24648d84 100644
--- a/src/common/kiwix/reader.h
+++ b/src/common/kiwix/reader.h
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@ namespace kiwix {
     bool getContentByDecodedUrl(const string &url, string &content, unsigned int &contentLength, string &contentType);
     bool searchSuggestions(const string &prefix, unsigned int suggestionsCount, const bool reset = true);
     bool searchSuggestionsSmart(const string &prefix, unsigned int suggestionsCount);
+    bool urlExists(const string &url);
     std::vector<std::string> getTitleVariants(const std::string &title);
     bool getNextSuggestion(string &title);
     bool getNextSuggestion(string &title, string &url);