Short link safety
Is Bitly safe?
Short answer: the service is fine, check the destination
Bitly is a legitimate company, and a bit.ly link simply forwards you to another site. Like any short link, it can hide a scam page, so check the destination before opening one you didn’t expect, especially in a text message.
Check a Bitly link before you open it
We open the link from our server, not your device, and show every redirect and the final page.
More about expanding these links: Bitly link expander.
What our checks of real Bitly links found
Based on 141 different Bitly links checked on Redirect Sniffer by 107 people in the last 90 days. Updated daily; last updated 12 Nov 2026.
- 30% of links were broken or removed, which is common for old or reported links.
- The most common destination was docs.google.com, reached by 5 different people.
Where Bitly links led most often
Final websites reached by at least three different people. Seeing a site here doesn’t mean it’s safe or unsafe.
- 1. docs.google.com 5 people
- 2. youtube.com 3 people
What is Bitly?
Bitly (bit.ly) is one of the most widely used link shorteners and is built into many marketing tools. Businesses use it to count clicks; scammers use it because a short bit.ly link looks harmless in a text or chat message.
What you see when you open one
- 1Usually a direct redirect to the destination
- 2A Bitly warning page if Bitly has flagged the link
- 3A Bitly “link not found” page if the link was removed
The risks to watch for
- Fake delivery, bank and toll texts often use bit.ly links
- The person who made the link can point it somewhere else later on some plans
- A bit.ly link can lead to another short link
How to open a Bitly link safely
- Paste the link above to see the full redirect chain.
- Add a + to the end (bit.ly/3Example+) to open Bitly’s own preview of the link.
- If the text or email was unexpected, check the account through the company’s app or website instead of the link.
Already opened a link and entered something? See what to do after clicking a scam link.
Questions about Bitly
What does adding + to a bit.ly link do?
It opens Bitly’s information page for that link instead of redirecting, so you can see the destination first.
Does Bitly check links for scams?
Bitly blocks or shows a warning on some links it knows are harmful, but brand-new scam pages can get through, so it’s still worth checking.
Is it safe to tap a bit.ly link in a text message?
Only if you expected the message. Delivery, toll and bank scams use bit.ly often. Paste it into the checker first, or ignore the link and go to the company’s site yourself.