How to Change Your Destination URL

Oct. 4, 2021

How to Change Your Destination URL

SMS message with a Custom Link branching from the Bitly interface

SMS message with a Custom Link branching from the Bitly interface

One of our cadre values at Bitly is existence customer-first—fiercely committed to our customers' success. We oftentimes chat with Bitly users like yourself to better sympathise your needs and how we can improve our production to help you accomplish your goals. In our thousands of interactions, ane request keeps coming upward: the ability to redirect whatsoever link.

What is a Link Redirect?

When y'all redirect a link, y'all change its destination from i URL to another.

For example, if you have a Bitly link, say bitly.is/latest-post, that points to a weblog post you released in May, you tin can change that aforementioned link to point to a new blog mail that you released in June.

Bitly interface that shows a redirected link and a list of previous destination URLs

Moving forward, whoever accesses the original short link will be directed to the new blog post.

Bitly supports the ability to redirect any link or QR Code. This ways yous can change the destination URL—the page a company sees once they click on the link—for any brusque link inside Bitly. This includes "flake.ly" links and branded links created with a custom domain.

Why Redirect a Link?

Correct a destination error

Sometimes, you lot might paste in the wrong URL when shortening a link. Instead of creating a brand new link, you can simply correct the original one by editing the destination URL. For example, say y'all created a link pointing to an FAQs folio but you really wanted it to point to your Near Us folio. To brand matters worse, y'all've already shared the link via e-mail to customers.

Instead of sending out another email with a new link, you can redirect the original link to indicate to the right identify. This is also valuable if your website itself changes, say yoursite.com/aboutus is moved to yoursite.com/primary/aboutus. Updating the destination will ensure your visitors are e'er pointed to the most upwardly-to-date page.

Update to a new destination

In that location are a number of reasons why you might desire to update the destination of a link over fourth dimension. For example, you lot might want to update the destination of a QR Code every few months to point to a new seasonal offer. Change the destination, but keep the same QR Code and the brusque link associated with it.

Many of our customers create Bitly links for their social media and digital marketing campaigns, and they utilize UTM parameters to track link and visitor information. If you ever demand to change the parameters associated with a link, you tin can practise information technology easily without changing the brusque link y'all've already shared.

Manually expire old links

We're always working to ensure that any Bitly link you create remains active. But if a link you created is no longer valid for you—for instance, if you're running a express-time promotion—you can manually alter its destination. Afterwards all, some links are only meant to be active for a certain period of time. Y'all can alter the destination of that link when that fourth dimension has passed.

For example, yous might utilise a Bitly link in printed collateral to promote an upcoming event. Later on the issue is over, you can redirect that short link to your homepage or any mistake page rather than the event registration page.

View link configuration history

Every time you redirect a link, we keep track of the previous destination URL and the clicks associated with it. This ways y'all'll be able to see when the different destinations were active for a detail Bitly link, as well every bit view the clicks associated with past destinations.

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Are you set to get started with link redirects? To redirect any link, upgrade to a paid Bitly plan.