When you shorten a link, you may occasionally see this error: "This custom link is taken." This you need to enter a different back-half. This is because someone has already used that back-half with that domain, whether it's bit.ly or your own custom domain.
When you see this error, you need to use a different back-half. Since Bitly links are case sensitive, try changing the capitalization. You can also add other characters, like numbers or a hyphen.
For example, if you want to use yourdomain.com/sample but that custom link is taken, you have a few options:
- Change the capitalization: yourdomain.com/Sample
- Add characters: yourdomain.com/sample2022
- Use a different back-half: yourdomain.com/sample-sale
Think strategically when customizing your links. When you add a custom back-half to a link, it is permanently tied to that link. It cannot be freed up later, even if you go back and edit the custom link in your account.