When you shorten a link in Bitly, you also get to take advantage of our advanced link-shortening features, like customizing your short URL, using UTMs, creating a QR Code, and more.
To create a link in Bitly, you need to be logged in to your account. If you don't have an account, visit our pricing page to view our free and paid plans and to select the one that's right for you.
This article includes instructions for shortening links within the Bitly web app or on the Bitly.com homepage:
In your Bitly account
If you already have a Bitly account, follow these steps to create links.
To shorten a link in Bitly:
- Log in to your Bitly account.
- Click Create new in the top-left corner and select Link. You can also press b on your keyboard as a shortcut.
- Enter the link you'd like to shorten in the Destination field. Optionally, add a title to make your link easier to find later on.
Just need a quick link? Hit Enter/Return on your keyboard to create it now.
- If you have UTM parameters for your link, toggle the switch and enter your UTMs in the relevant fields. These parameters are added to the long link before we short it.
With our higher paid plans, you can save this new UTM parameter or select one you've previously saved.
- If you have a paid subscription with a custom domain, select your domain or use bit.ly.
- Enter a custom back-half to make your link more unique. Your limit for custom back-halves depends on your plan.
- Toggle the QR Code option to create a Bitly Code for this link.
- Toggle the Bitly Page option to add this link to a Bitly Page. If you have multiple pages, select which one to use for this link.
After you create the link, head over to your Link-in-bio page to publish it.
- Select Create in the bottom-right corner. Your link is automatically copied to your clipboard, ready for you to share!
Want to know what else you can do with your links? Visit Link Management to learn more.
On the Bitly homepage
To shorten a link via the Bitly homepage:
- Enter your destination URL, then click Sign up and get your link.
- To create your account, enter your email address and a strong password. Click Continue with Google to sign up with your Google account.
- Your link is now ready to be shared! Visit our pricing page to learn what you get with your new free Bitly account and to view your upgrade options.