Summary
The overwhelming consensus from email marketing experts, documentation, and community discussions is that using Bitly links or generic URL shorteners in email marketing is generally detrimental to email deliverability. These links can trigger spam filters, damage sender reputation, obscure the true destination of the link, and potentially lead to emails getting blocked. While a custom domain with a paid Bitly account can mitigate some risks, it's not the ideal solution. It's generally recommended to use full, direct URLs or branded tracking domains as a better alternative. The only acceptable use case for Bitly links is including them unlinked in the email body for users to manually type into their browsers.
Key findings
- Negative Deliverability Impact: Bitly links negatively impact email deliverability by triggering spam filters and damaging sender reputation.
- Reputation Damage: Using Bitly links can lead to sender reputation penalties due to association with spam or low-reputation domains.
- Link Obscurity: URL shorteners obscure the true destination of the link, making it harder for filters to assess its safety and credibility.
- Redirect Issues: Domains inside redirects can cause deliverability issues and increase the risk of being flagged as spam.
- Filtering Techniques: Email providers may employ filtering techniques that count redirects, negatively impacting deliverability when using Bitly links.
Key considerations
- Use Full URLs: Prioritize using full, direct URLs in your emails to ensure transparency and avoid triggering spam filters.
- Branded Tracking: Implement a branded tracking domain for your links to build trust and improve deliverability.
- Avoid Generic Shorteners: Refrain from using generic URL shorteners like Bitly in your email campaigns to minimize deliverability risks.
- Custom Domains (Limited Benefit): While using a custom domain with Bitly can mitigate some risks, it's not a complete solution.
- Prohibited Domains List: If taking promotions from third parties, maintain a list of specifically prohibited link domains.
- Acceptable Unlinked Use: The only acceptable use case for Bitly links is when they are included unlinked in the email body.
What email marketers say
14 marketer opinions
The overwhelming consensus from email marketing experts and documentation is that using Bitly links (or generic URL shorteners) in email marketing is generally detrimental to email deliverability. These links can trigger spam filters, damage sender reputation, and obscure the true destination of the link. Using full, direct links or a branded tracking domain is recommended as a better alternative.
Key opinions
- Deliverability Impact: Bitly links negatively impact email deliverability by triggering spam filters and damaging sender reputation.
- Reputation Damage: Using Bitly links can lead to sender reputation penalties due to association with spam or low-reputation domains.
- Link Obscurity: URL shorteners obscure the true destination of the link, making it harder for filters to assess its safety and credibility.
- Redirect Issues: Domains inside redirects can cause deliverability issues and increase the risk of being flagged as spam.
Key considerations
- Use Full URLs: Prioritize using full, direct URLs in your emails to ensure transparency and avoid triggering spam filters.
- Branded Tracking: Implement a branded tracking domain for your links to build trust and improve deliverability.
- Avoid Generic Shorteners: Refrain from using generic URL shorteners like Bitly in your email campaigns to minimize deliverability risks.
- List of Prohibited Domains: If taking promotions from third parties, maintain a list of specifically prohibited link domains.
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks suggests to avoid Bitly links in email marketing.
6 Dec 2023 - Email Geeks
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks answers that domains inside redirects can cause deliverability issues.
2 Nov 2021 - Email Geeks
What the experts say
4 expert opinions
Experts generally advise against using Bitly links in email marketing due to the negative impact on deliverability. These links can trigger filtering techniques related to redirects and can lead to emails getting blocked due to URL reputation issues. While using a custom domain with a paid Bitly account can mitigate some risks, it's still not ideal. The only acceptable use case for Bitly links is including them unlinked in the email body for users to manually type into their browsers.
Key opinions
- Negative Deliverability Impact: Bitly links can negatively impact email deliverability due to filtering techniques that count redirects.
- URL Reputation Issues: Bitly links can cause emails to be blocked due to URL reputation issues.
- Custom Domain Mitigation: Using a custom domain with a paid Bitly account can mitigate some risks, but it's still not the best practice.
- Limited Acceptable Use: The only acceptable use case for Bitly links is including them unlinked in the email body.
Key considerations
- Avoid Linking Bitly Links: Avoid linking directly to Bitly links within your emails.
- Consider Custom Domains: If clients insist on using Bitly, encourage them to use a custom domain to reduce the risk of being blocked.
- Be Aware of Filtering: Understand that email providers may employ filtering techniques that count redirects, which can negatively impact your deliverability when using Bitly links.
- Acceptable Unlinked: Only use Bitly links in email if you need them for users to manually type into their browsers, keeping them unlinked from the main body of the message.
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks explains the only reason to use Bitly in email is if you want to include them in the body copy unlinked as something people type into their browser or share on social networks, but do not link to them. ESP will wrap it anyway and it introduces friction and potential disruptions.
15 Jan 2025 - Email Geeks
Expert view
Expert from Word to the Wise shares the sentiment that Bitly gets you blocked, implying a negative impact on email deliverability when using Bitly links due to URL reputation.
7 May 2024 - Word to the Wise
What the documentation says
5 technical articles
Email deliverability documentation from various sources indicates that using Bitly links or any URL shorteners in email marketing is generally discouraged. While not explicitly banned in all cases, the main concern is that shortened URLs obscure the destination, making it difficult for filters to assess link safety and reputation. This lack of transparency can negatively impact deliverability and raise suspicion with email filters. The recommendation is to use clear, direct links or custom tracking domains to improve trust and sender reputation.
Key findings
- Obscured Destination: Shortened URLs obscure the true destination, making it harder for filters to assess link safety.
- Impact on Reputation: Links with low or unknown reputation can negatively impact email deliverability.
- Distrust and Suspicion: Opaque or obfuscated URLs raise suspicion with email filters, potentially leading to deliverability issues.
- Deceptive Practices: Deceptive linking practices, including hiding the actual destination, are discouraged.
Key considerations
- Use Clear Links: Prioritize using clear and direct links to improve trust and sender reputation.
- Implement Tracking Domains: Use custom tracking domains to provide transparency and build trust with email providers.
- Avoid Obfuscation: Avoid using URL shorteners or any method that hides the actual destination of your links.
- Monitor Reputation: Monitor the reputation of your links to ensure they are not flagged as spam or low quality.
Technical article
Documentation from RFC 5322 explains while RFC 5322 doesn't explicitly ban URL shorteners, it emphasizes the importance of clarity and transparency in email content. Opaque or obfuscated URLs can raise suspicion with email filters.
26 Jul 2021 - RFC Editor
Technical article
Documentation from Google Postmaster Tools Help indicates while not explicitly banning link shorteners, best practices suggest using clear and direct links to improve trust and sender reputation. Obscuring links can lead to deliverability problems.
23 Nov 2021 - Google Postmaster Tools Help
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