Overview
Bitly is one of the most popular URL shortening and link management platforms, offering an API to create, track, and manage short links programmatically. It uses OAuth for secure authentication, and once set up you can shorten URLs, create custom branded links, and retrieve click analytics. Bitly is a great choice when you need reliable link tracking alongside shortening.
Beginner Tip
Get your API access token from the Bitly developer portal and include it as a Bearer token in the Authorization header for all requests. Start with the /v4/shorten endpoint to create your first short link.
Available Data
Example Response
{
"id": "abc123",
"short_url": "https://short.ly/abc123",
"long_url": "https://example.com/very/long/url/path",
"clicks": 1542,
"created_at": "2025-01-10T14:30:00Z"
} Field Reference
id The Bitlink identifier in the format domain/hash link The full shortened URL including https://bit.ly/ long_url The original long URL that was shortened created_at ISO 8601 timestamp of when the Bitlink was created custom_bitlinks List of custom short link aliases associated with this Bitlink Implementation Example
const url = "http://dev.bitly.com/";
// Replace headers or query params with the values required by this API.
const response = await fetch(url, {
headers: {
"Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
}
});
if (!response.ok) throw new Error(`Request failed: ${response.status}`);
const data = await response.json();
console.log(data); What Can You Build?
Note: These code examples are AI-generated and unverified. Always refer to the official API documentation for accurate usage.
Common Errors & Troubleshooting
Matrix Score Breakdown
Partially tested on Apr 5, 2026
Technical Specifications
Related Tags
Alternatives to Bitly
Technical alternatives for different use cases.
Minimalist URL shortener with no registration
Simplest possible URL shortening integration
Analytics, branded links, and link management
No authentication required, simple POST to shorten
Quick URL shortening without API key setup
Click tracking and link management
Free URL shortener with click analytics
Simple link shortening with basic analytics for free
Enterprise features and branded short domains
Recipes Using Bitly
Build something with this API. Each recipe includes step-by-step instructions and code outlines.
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