Do shortened URLs harm deliverability?

You copy a long URL, paste it into Bit.ly, and drop the tidy shortened link into your email. It saves space, looks clean, and you can track clicks. Makes sense, right? The problem is that spam filters don't see a tidy link. They see a hidden destination, and that's exactly what phishing emails do too.

Generic URL shorteners like Bit.ly and TinyURL have a rough reputation in the deliverability world. Spammers have used them for years to disguise malicious links, so filters learned to treat shortened URLs with real suspicion. Some corporate mail gateways block them outright. Others add spam score points just for the presence of a shortened domain. Either way, your email pays the price.

There's also a shared reputation problem. When you use a public shortening service, you're sharing that domain with thousands of other senders. If someone else runs a spam campaign through the same service, their bad reputation becomes your problem. You have no control over it.

The fix most ESPs already give you is a branded tracking domain. Instead of a Bit.ly link, your clicks route through something like click.yourcompany.com. The destination is still tracked, but the domain is yours. You control its reputation. Filters can see it connects to your sending domain. And recipients aren't looking at a mystery URL before they click.

Setting up a branded link domain is usually a DNS configuration step inside your ESP. Mailchimp, Klaviyo, Brevo, and most other platforms support it. If you're unsure whether yours does, it's worth checking before your next campaign goes out.

One more thing worth knowing: even with a branded domain, having too many links in a single email can still trigger spam filters. The branded domain helps with reputation. It doesn't give you unlimited links for free.

So skip the public shorteners. Use your ESP's branded tracking domain, keep your link count reasonable, and make sure every destination URL is something you'd be happy showing plainly to a subscriber.

Not sure if your current setup is hurting your deliverability? You can check the basics with our free Email Header Analyzer, or just ask us directly if something feels off.