Why are Bitly links considered bad for email deliverability?

Bitly links are often associated with spam because spammers frequently use them to hide malicious URLs. This causes spam filters and mailbox providers to flag emails containing these links, leading to poor inbox placement or outright rejection.

Will my emails go to spam if I use Bitly links?

There's a significant risk that your emails will be caught by spam filters or land in the spam folder. The shared nature of the bit.ly domain means its reputation can be negatively affected by other users, which in turn impacts your own email deliverability .

What is a better alternative to Bitly for email links?

The best alternatives are branded URL shorteners using your own domain or a subdomain. This gives you full control over the link's reputation. Many services offer this, or you can self-host a shortener . Additionally, most Email Service Providers (ESPs) have built-in link tracking that uses your domain, which is often the most reliable option.

How do branded short links improve deliverability?

Branded short links use a subdomain of your own domain, tying the link's reputation directly to your brand. Mailbox providers see that the link originates from a trusted source, which can significantly improve email deliverability rates and build recipient trust. They are less likely to be flagged as spam compared to generic shorteners.

Are Bitly links bad for email deliverability? - Sender reputation - Email deliverability - Knowledge base

Using shortened URLs from services like bit.ly in your emails might seem convenient, but it can significantly impact your email deliverability. While these services are popular for their simplicity, they often come with hidden risks that can cause your messages to land in spam folders or be outright rejected by mailbox providers.

The core issue revolves around sender reputation and how email systems perceive the domains used in your links. Generic shorteners share a single domain among millions of users, good and bad. This shared environment makes it a common target for spammers, which in turn taints the domain's reputation for legitimate senders.

Understanding these risks is crucial for anyone involved in email marketing or communication. While some might use Bitly for click tracking, there are more reliable and deliverability-friendly methods available.

Why generic URL shorteners are risky

Generic URL shorteners like Bitly operate on shared domains. This means that if a malicious sender uses a bit.ly link to distribute spam or malware, the reputation of the entire bit.ly domain can suffer. As a result, mailbox providers and spam filters become wary of all links from that domain, regardless of the actual content they point to.

When you use a generic shortener, you're essentially borrowing a domain that you have no control over. This shared reputation pool means your legitimate emails could be blocklisted (or blacklisted) simply because other, unrelated users have abused the service. This is a common problem, with many reports of emails being flagged by spam filters due to the inclusion of bit.ly links.

The lack of transparency also plays a role. Recipients cannot immediately see the final destination of a shortened link. This opacity can raise suspicion, as it's a tactic often employed by phishers and spammers to hide malicious URLs. Even if your content is perfectly safe, the shortened link itself can trigger automated defenses and user mistrust, negatively impacting email open rates and engagement.

The spam filter's perspective

Spam filters are designed to protect users, and a key indicator of suspicious activity is the use of generic URL shorteners. They often associate these with phishing or unwanted commercial email, leading to automatic redirection to the spam folder or outright rejection. This is why using services like bit.ly in emails is akin to wearing a ski mask to a job interview; it raises immediate red flags, as highlighted by other deliverability experts.

The mechanisms of deliverability issues

Mailbox providers actively monitor domains for suspicious activity and maintain blocklists and blacklists. Because public URL shorteners are so frequently abused, their domains can easily end up on these lists. If a domain used by Bitly (or any other generic shortener) is on a blocklist, any email containing a link from that domain may be rejected or sent straight to spam. This is a direct threat to email deliverability.

Even if the domain isn't explicitly blocklisted, the sheer volume of emails containing these short URLs can trigger volume-based spam filters. These filters look at patterns in email traffic, and a sudden surge of emails with generic short links can be a red flag. This can lead to your emails being caught in filters, impacting your overall sending reputation.

Some senders use generic shorteners to work around email clipping in

Gmail, but this approach is often counterproductive. Email Service Providers (ESPs) frequently wrap any link (including shortened ones) in their own tracking links, which can actually make the final URL longer. This negates any benefit of shortening and can introduce additional tracking domains that might also carry their own deliverability considerations. It's important to understand how links affect email deliverability with ESP click tracking.

Safer alternatives to generic shorteners

Instead of relying on generic URL shorteners, there are several deliverability-friendly alternatives that provide similar functionality without the reputation risks. The best approach is to use branded short links. This involves setting up a subdomain on your own primary sending domain, or a closely related domain, specifically for link shortening. Many URL shortening services offer this as a premium feature.

By using a branded short link (e.g., l.yourdomain.com/xyz), you maintain full control over the link's reputation. Since it's tied to your own domain, its deliverability is directly linked to your established sending practices. This builds trust with mailbox providers and recipients, as they can clearly see the link originates from your brand. It also allows you to track clicks and engagement more accurately without relying on a third-party domain that might be shared with spammers.

Another option, if you have the technical resources, is to self-host a URL shortener on your own server. Tools like YOURLS (yourls.org) allow you to create and manage short links entirely within your own infrastructure. This gives you maximum control and ensures that your links are not affected by the actions of other users. For teams managing their own email deliverability, this can be a robust solution.

Generic URL shorteners

Shared reputation: Vulnerable to abuse by other users, impacting your email deliverability.
Increased spam risk: Often flagged by spam filters due to association with malicious activity.
Lack of transparency: Recipients cannot easily verify the true destination, leading to mistrust.
Dependence on third-party: No control over the shortening domain's policies or security.

Branded URL shorteners

Controlled reputation: Your own domain ensures direct control over link reputation.
Reduced spam risk: Less likely to be flagged by spam filters, improving inbox placement.
Enhanced trust: Recipients recognize your brand, increasing confidence and click-through rates.
Full ownership: Complete control over your links and underlying infrastructure.

Implementing branded short links

Setting up a branded short link typically involves creating a new subdomain, such as go.yourdomain.com or links.yourdomain.com. You'll then configure a CNAME record in your Domain Name System (DNS) settings to point this subdomain to your chosen URL shortening service's servers. This process ensures that while the shortening service handles the redirection, the visible domain in your emails is your own. For example, your DNS record might look something like this:

Example CNAME record for branded short linksDNS

NAME: go.yourdomain.com
TYPE: CNAME
VALUE: cname.bitly.com

Once configured, all shortened links will use your custom subdomain, leveraging your brand's existing domain reputation. This is a critical step in improving email deliverability and ensuring your messages reach the inbox. It also enhances brand consistency and professionalism.

Additionally, if you're using an Email Service Provider (ESP), leverage their built-in link tracking features. Most ESPs automatically rewrite your links to use their own tracking domains, which are typically well-maintained and designed to optimize deliverability. This often removes the need for external URL shorteners altogether. Ensure your ESP's email authentication is properly configured for optimal results.

Conclusion

Using generic URL shorteners like Bitly can indeed be detrimental to your email deliverability due to their association with spam and potential for blocklisting. While they offer convenience and basic tracking, the risks to your sender reputation often outweigh these benefits. Prioritizing branded short links or leveraging your ESP's built-in tracking mechanisms is a much safer and more professional approach.

Continuously monitoring your email deliverability performance is key to maintaining a strong sender reputation and ensuring your messages reach your audience effectively. Always aim for practices that build trust and transparency with both mailbox providers and recipients.

Views from the trenches

Best practices

Always use branded short links instead of generic ones to protect your sender reputation.

If possible, self-host your URL shortener to gain full control over link infrastructure.

Utilize your Email Service Provider's (ESP) native link tracking to ensure optimal deliverability.

Common pitfalls

Relying on generic URL shorteners, which are frequently used by spammers and can lead to blocklisting.

Ignoring the impact of shared domain reputation on your email campaigns and inbox placement.

Assuming shortened links will bypass Gmail's email clipping without affecting deliverability.

Expert tips

Consider that a smart filter can still fingerprint the underlying infrastructure of even custom-branded short links if the backend is a well-known abused service.

Remember that Bitly (as an .ly domain) is beholden to Libyan Telecom & Technology's regulations, posing a very small, but real, geopolitical risk.

Understand that custom URLs hosted by Bitly generally avoid abuse, but your own brand's reputation is still on the line.

Marketer view

Bitly links are super commonly used by spammers, which can negatively impact email deliverability.

2021-06-03 - Email Geeks

Marketer view

My team has seen deliverability issues when bit.ly links were mistakenly included, often resulting in mail being rejected due to blocklist entries.

2021-06-03 - Email Geeks