Is it bad to use Bitly links in email marketing?
Summary
What email marketers say14Marketer opinions
Marketer from Email Geeks suggests to avoid Bitly links in email marketing.
Marketer from Email Geeks answers that domains inside redirects can cause deliverability issues.
Marketer from Email Geeks explains that a release from the client won't help, as the sender takes the reputation penalty for including a link to a low reputation domain.
Email marketer from StackOverflow states URL shorteners may negatively affect reputation and deliverability, therefore should be avoided. They suggest to utilize full URLs where possible.
Email marketer from Litmus answers that while URL shorteners offer convenience, they can obscure the link's destination, raising red flags with spam filters and hurting deliverability. They advise using a branded link shortener or full URLs.
Email marketer from Reddit forum states that using services like Bitly can negatively impact your sender reputation. Many spam filters flag shortened URLs, leading to deliverability issues. It's better to use full, direct links or a branded tracking domain.
Marketer from Email Geeks suggests that if taking promotions from 3rd parties, maintain a list of specifically prohibited link domains.
Email marketer from SendGrid Blog recommends avoiding URL shorteners in emails to maintain a good sender reputation and improve deliverability. Using a dedicated, branded domain for link tracking is better for building trust.
Email marketer from Email on Acid Blog explains that shortened URLs can negatively affect email deliverability by obscuring the true destination of the link and potentially triggering spam filters. It recommends using full URLs or branded link tracking for improved deliverability.
Email marketer from Mailchimp's Resource Guides advises against using generic URL shorteners like bit.ly in email campaigns because they can trigger spam filters and damage your sender reputation. They suggest using a branded tracking link as a better alternative.
Marketer from Email Geeks generally advises against using Bitly links in emails, suggesting there's usually no good reason for them.
Email marketer from HubSpot answers that URL shorteners can hurt your email deliverability and are not recommended, suggests using proper, full links.
Email marketer from Campaign Monitor answers that URL shorteners make your URLs suspicious and can cause your email to be marked as spam. They advise to avoid URL shorteners.
Email marketer from Neil Patel's Blog explains that while link shorteners can make URLs cleaner, they can also hurt deliverability if they are overused or associated with spam. It's better to use a custom domain for tracking links in emails.
What the experts say4Expert opinions
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.
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.
Expert from Email Geeks states they have seen Bitly cause filtering issues, suggests avoiding it or using one with a custom domain to minimize cross-reputational leakage.
Expert from Email Geeks states that using Bitly links is a very bad idea due to filtering techniques that count redirects. Suggests if clients want to use it, they should get a paid account with their own domain, although still considers it problematic.
What the documentation says5Technical articles
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.
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.
Documentation from Microsoft's Email Policies indicates that deceptive linking practices, including the use of URL shorteners to hide the actual destination, are discouraged and can negatively impact deliverability to Outlook and Hotmail inboxes.
Documentation from SparkPost Documentation explains that link reputation is crucial for deliverability, and shortened URLs can obscure the destination, making it harder for filters to assess the link's safety. Using a custom tracking domain is recommended.
Documentation from Spamhaus explains that links with low reputation can negatively impact email deliverability. URL shorteners can mask the true destination of a link, making it difficult to assess the URL's reputation.