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Summary

Experts, marketers, and documentation sources agree that using URL shorteners, particularly public ones like bit.ly, can negatively impact email deliverability. These shorteners often have a bad reputation due to their association with spam and malicious content, leading to blocklisting by email providers and security software. Additionally, URL shorteners can be viewed as cloaking, which violates Google's Webmaster Guidelines and triggers spam filters. The use of multiple redirects increases latency and can trigger security warnings, affecting user experience and deliverability. While private or branded shorteners offer some advantages, caution is advised, with recommendations to use full, transparent URLs whenever possible. Relying solely on short URLs for tracking purposes is also risky, as destinations can change, affecting data accuracy. Maintaining a clean sender reputation and building trust with recipients are key considerations in determining whether to use URL shorteners.

Key findings

  • Reputation Risk: Public URL shorteners carry a negative reputation due to spam associations.
  • Deliverability Impact: Using URL shorteners can harm email deliverability, leading to spam filters and blocklisting.
  • SEO Concerns: URL shorteners can negatively impact SEO by masking the destination URL.
  • Tracking Issues: Shortened URLs pose data accuracy issues as the destination can change post-send.
  • Cloaking Suspicion: Email clients and search engines often view short URLs as a form of cloaking.

Key considerations

  • Use Branded Shorteners: If using shorteners, opt for branded short links to build trust and recognition.
  • Ensure Proper Configuration: If using your own URL shortener, ensure it is properly configured to prevent abuse.
  • Maintain Transparency: Prefer full, transparent URLs to build trust and avoid triggering spam filters.
  • Limit Redirects: Limit the use of multiple redirects to improve user experience and reduce latency.
  • Monitor Reputation: Monitor your sender reputation and ensure shortened links are not associated with spam.

What email marketers say

15 marketer opinions

Using URL shorteners like bit.ly can negatively impact email deliverability for several reasons. Public URL shorteners often have a bad reputation due to being abused by spammers, leading email providers to flag them as suspicious. This can harm your sender reputation, cause emails to land in the spam folder, and negatively impact click-through rates. It's generally recommended to avoid public URL shorteners altogether. If link shortening is necessary, using a custom branded domain for short links can improve deliverability and build trust with recipients, as it maintains brand consistency and avoids the negative reputation associated with public URL shorteners. It's also important to ensure that any URL shortener you use is properly configured to prevent abuse.

Key opinions

  • Reputation: Public URL shorteners often have a negative reputation due to spam abuse.
  • Deliverability: Using public URL shorteners can harm email deliverability, leading to emails landing in the spam folder.
  • Trust: Shortened URLs can reduce trust with recipients, especially if they don't recognize the service.
  • SEO Impact: URL shorteners can negatively impact SEO by hiding the destination URL from search engines.
  • Tracking: If the link is shortened after sending then tracking becomes innacurate.

Key considerations

  • Branded Links: Consider using branded short links to improve deliverability and build trust.
  • Configuration: Ensure any URL shortener you use is properly configured to prevent abuse.
  • Transparency: Opt for transparent URLs whenever possible to build trust and avoid triggering spam filters.
  • Alternatives: Explore alternatives to URL shortening if deliverability is a major concern.
  • Tracking Options: If using your own domain for tracking ensure you track clicks yourself to retain control of data

Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks explains that bit.ly links often have a bad reputation because they are frequently abused, which is generally the case for many third-party domains you have no control over.

20 Jul 2024 - Email Geeks

Marketer view

Email marketer from Litmus explains that some email clients view URL shortening as a form of link cloaking, which can trigger spam filters. It is recommended to use full, transparent URLs or branded short links to avoid deliverability issues.

11 Sep 2021 - Litmus

What the experts say

5 expert opinions

Experts generally advise caution when using URL shorteners for email marketing due to long-standing issues with abuse and deliverability. Public link shorteners, like bit.ly, have been problematic for over a decade and are often used in spam to hide the true destination. While private shorteners may be acceptable, relying solely on short URLs for tracking can be risky as destinations can change post-send, impacting data accuracy. When using tracking tools that wrap links in redirects already, adding further redirects via shorteners increases the chance of failure.

Key opinions

  • Historical Issues: Public URL shorteners have a history of being problematic for email deliverability.
  • Spam Association: Short URLs are frequently used in unsolicited email to mask the destination.
  • Tracking Risks: Relying solely on short URLs for tracking can be inaccurate as destinations may change.
  • Redirect Overload: Additional redirects increase the risk of failure when using tracking tools.

Key considerations

  • Private vs. Public: Consider using private rather than public link shorteners when necessary.
  • Alternative Tracking: Explore alternative tracking methods to mitigate risks associated with short URLs.
  • Caution: Exercise caution when clicking short URLs in unexpected emails.
  • Destination Verification: Always verify the destination before clicking on a shortened link.

Expert view

Expert from Word to the Wise warns against relying solely on short URLs for tracking, as the destination could be changed after the email is sent, leading to inaccurate data. They advise using caution and considering alternative tracking methods.

15 Sep 2023 - Word to the Wise

Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks explains that if the sending tool is tracking clicks, it’s wrapping the link in its own redirect already and each additional redirect is a chance for failure.

15 Jun 2024 - Email Geeks

What the documentation says

4 technical articles

Documentation sources indicate that URL shorteners can negatively impact email deliverability due to cloaking, blocklisting, excessive redirects, and potential security warnings. Google Search Central identifies cloaking (including sneaky redirects) as a violation of webmaster guidelines, harming site rankings. Spamhaus notes that URL shorteners are frequently used by spammers, leading to blocklisting of these services, which then affects email deliverability. Furthermore, the RFC Editor explains that excessive redirects can slow browsing and trigger security warnings. Similarly, Cloudflare support explains that multiple redirects increase latency and can trigger security warnings, impacting user experience and deliverability.

Key findings

  • Cloaking Violation: URL shorteners can be seen as cloaking, violating Google's guidelines.
  • Blocklisting Risk: URL shorteners are often used for spam, leading to blocklisting and deliverability issues.
  • Excessive Redirects: Short URLs often create multiple redirects, slowing browsing and raising security concerns.
  • Latency Impact: Multiple redirects due to URL shorteners increase latency.

Key considerations

  • Avoid Cloaking: Avoid using URL shorteners in ways that could be considered cloaking.
  • Monitor Blocklists: Regularly check if your URL shortening service is on any blocklists.
  • Minimize Redirects: Minimize the use of multiple redirects to improve speed and security.
  • User Experience: Consider the impact of redirects on user experience and potential security warnings.

Technical article

Documentation from RFC Editor explains that excessive HTTP redirections due to short URLs can slow down browsing experience and might be flagged by security software due to potential phishing attempts.

24 Jun 2023 - RFC Editor

Technical article

Documentation from Google Search Central explains that cloaking or sneaky redirects are a violation of Google's Webmaster Guidelines because they present different content to users than to search engine crawlers. This can harm your site's ranking.

7 Oct 2022 - Google Search Central

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