Are Bitly links bad for email deliverability?

Marketer from Email Geeks shares that Bitly links are very commonly used by spammers which implies they could hurt deliverability.

Marketer from Email Geeks recounts a client who asked to use Bitly to shorten URLs because emails were being clipped. They refused to use Bitly but found another solution for long redirects.

Marketer from Email Geeks explains they've seen deliverability issues when bit.ly links were included and that the mail was often rejected because it was found on various blocklists.

Email marketer from Reddit explains that using Bitly links can sometimes cause emails to land in the spam folder. They suggest using full URLs or a custom short domain instead.

Email marketer from Email Marketing Forum explains that using URL shorteners can lead to spam flagging. They prefer using branded shortened URLs on a dedicated domain for better control.

Email marketer from SuperOffice suggests to avoid URL shorteners like bit.ly. They explain that these can be added to blocklists which will negatively impact email deliverability.

Email marketer from StackExchange explains that using URL shorteners can decrease trust and may be flagged by spam filters. They advise against using them in promotional emails.

Email marketer from EmailToolTester shares that while URL shorteners provide tracking, they can harm deliverability. They recommend using branded short links or full URLs instead.

Email marketer from HubSpot Blog shares that while URL shorteners were popular for tracking, their use can hurt deliverability. They suggest using UTM parameters for tracking instead of shortening links.

Marketer from Email Geeks suggests self-hosting a shortened URL on your own sending domain as an alternative and to 'roll your own'.

Email marketer from Litmus shares that while tracking is important, using URL shorteners can jeopardize deliverability. They suggest using UTM parameters for tracking while maintaining full URLs.

Email marketer from Reddit shares that they avoid using URL shorteners in newsletters due to deliverability concerns. They prefer using full URLs with clear tracking parameters.

Email marketer from Sendinblue advises against using generic URL shorteners like Bitly because spammers often abuse them. This can negatively affect the sender's reputation and deliverability.

Email marketer from Neil Patel's Blog explains that URL shorteners like Bitly can negatively impact email deliverability. He advises against using them because they can be flagged as spam.

Expert from Email Geeks explains that ad sales vendors likely use URLs that break or don't track well from email due to some ad platform, and one solution is to use Bitly links. They suggest the vendor should pay for a branded link and not be spammers.

Expert from Word to the Wise mentions that while not always harmful, short URLs can impact deliverability because they obfuscate the destination and can be used maliciously. They suggest only using trusted shortening services and advise caution.

Expert from Email Geeks explains that using Bitly to avoid clipped emails in Gmail is unlikely to work because the ESP will wrap the Bitly link in a longer hashed link. There is also the small risk of something egregious happening and bit.ly being shut down.

Expert from SpamResource explains that using link shorteners can be problematic because they are often used in spam and phishing emails. This makes them less trustworthy to spam filters. They recommend using the actual link instead of a shortened link.

Expert from Email Geeks shares that if the ad sales insist on Bitly links, the underlying message is that they are not responsible for any delivery problems and will not pay for any mail that is blocked.

Expert from Email Geeks explains that Bitly links provide some level of click tracking and reporting.

Documentation from SparkPost suggests that while not inherently bad, URL shorteners can pose deliverability risks. They advise using branded short domains for better control and reputation.

Documentation from Google highlights that using URL shorteners can make emails appear less trustworthy, potentially triggering spam filters. They recommend using the full URL.

Documentation from Microsoft explains that Outlook may flag shortened URLs as suspicious, impacting deliverability. They recommend using full URLs for better security and deliverability.

Documentation from Mailchimp explains that using link shorteners can be detrimental to your sender reputation. They advise using the full, original URL to maintain trust and avoid spam filters.