Creating a vanity URL involves much more than simply shortening a long web address. You build a reusable, editable connection point between your brand and your audience. A well-crafted vanity link signals trust, enhances brand recognition, and gives you control over your digital touchpoints.
This guide walks through the practical steps teams apply to create, manage, and scale these personalized URLs using Bitly. We focus on current workflows that allow you to set up a branded domain, customize your links, and maintain them over time. You will learn how to turn a simple link creation task into a strategic asset for your marketing campaigns.
Note: The brands and examples discussed below were found during our online research for this article.
Key takeaways
- Creating a vanity URL starts with a branded domain that reinforces your identity.
- You can customize, edit, and reuse Vanity URLs over time.
- Bitly makes it possible to manage vanity URLs from a single dashboard, simplifying your link management workflow.
- Teams creating links at scale often benefit from API-based workflows to automate the process.
- Vanity URL performance reviews focus on engagement data, not conversion tracking.
What you need before creating a vanity URL
You need a few essential elements in place before you start generating links. Ensuring you have these prerequisites ready saves time and prevents you from getting halfway through the process only to realize you miss a key component.
A Bitly account
You need a Bitly account to create custom links. Access to branded link features depends on your specific plan. While a basic account allows for generic shortening, creating true vanity URLs requires a plan that supports custom domains. You should review your current plan details to confirm you have the necessary features enabled.
A branded or custom domain
A branded or custom domain serves as the foundation of your vanity link. This is the part of the URL that replaces the generic “bit.ly” with your own brand name, such as yourbrand.co or news.yourcompany.com. Using your own domain name reinforces brand recognition every time someone sees your link. It gives you full control over how your links appear and signals legitimacy to your audience. You cannot create a vanity URL without this custom element.
A destination URL
You must know where the vanity URL will point before you create it. The destination URL is the web address where you want users to land after they click. Planning this upfront proves especially important when you intend to reuse links across multiple marketing campaigns or channels. You want to ensure the landing page aligns perfectly with the promise your vanity link makes.
How to create a vanity URL using the Bitly dashboard
We view the creation process as a series of deliberate choices that establish your link structure. Follow these steps to generate a vanity URL that supports your digital marketing goals.
1. Connect or select a branded domain
Your first step involves ensuring Bitly knows which domain to use. If you have not connected a custom domain yet, you need to configure your DNS settings to point to Bitly. Once connected, or if you already have one set up, you select this domain within your account settings.
You might have multiple domains for different purposes, such as one for support and one for marketing. Choose the branded domain that fits the specific context of the link you are creating. Confirming this selection ensures your new vanity URL carries the correct brand identity from the start.
2. Create a new link in Bitly
Click or tap the Create new button from your main Bitly landing page and then select Link. Paste your target address into the Destination URL field.
You must then select your branded domain from the Short link domain dropdown menu. This establishes the base structure of your vanity URL. You replace the standard bit.ly prefix with your own company name or custom abbreviation. This step transforms a generic link into a branded asset.
3. Customize the back-half of the vanity URL
The “back-half” is the part of the URL that comes after your branded domain. Bitly generates a random string of characters by default, but you should customize this text to make the link meaningful.
Enter a clear, descriptive word or phrase that explains the content. Avoid using special characters that might complicate typing or reading. Once you enter your desired back-half, click Create your link. The system will provide you with a fully functional vanity link ready for distribution.
Editing and managing vanity URLs after creation
Vanity URLs offer flexibility. They are not static. You can update them over time to keep your content fresh or correct errors. Link management platforms like Bitly allow you to maintain the utility of your links long after you initially share them.
Updating destinations without changing the link
You can redirect a vanity URL to a new destination without changing the link itself. This capability matters significantly for long-running campaigns. You might have a link like brand.co/monthly-offer printed on physical brochures so you can update the back-end destination every month to point to the new offer page without reprinting your materials.
This feature also helps if you discover a broken link or need to fix a typo in the destination URL. You simply edit the target URL in the dashboard, and the vanity link redirects users to the correct page instantly. This continuity preserves your traffic and protects the user experience.
Reusing vanity URLs across channels
You can share the same vanity URL across social media, text messages, emails, and offline materials. This consistency reinforces brand recall. Users can learn to recognize your link structure and trust it regardless of where they encounter it.
Reusing links reduces the need to create unique URLs for every single channel unless you specifically need granular UTM tracking to differentiate referrals. You streamline your workflow and keep your online presence tidy by using a single, powerful link for your core campaign assets.
Creating vanity URLs at scale
Manual creation works well for individual campaigns, but high-growth teams often need faster solutions. You might reach a point where creating links one by one slows down your operations.
When manual creation stops being efficient
Watch for signals that your manual workflow limits your productivity. If you find yourself copying and pasting hundreds of links for a large SMS broadcast, you need a better method. High link volume, frequent repetition, or the need to generate unique links for individual users indicates a need for automation.
Using the Bitly API to create vanity URLs
The Bitly API allows you to integrate vanity URL creation directly into your internal systems. You can programmatically generate thousands of branded links for transactional SMS messages or personalized email blasts.
Developers can use the API to connect Bitly with your other software tools. This integration automates the shortening and branding process. Your team gets the benefits of vanity URLs without the manual effort of logging into the dashboard for every single link.
Understanding vanity URL analytics
Measurement drives improvement. However, you must understand exactly what insights vanity URLs provide to interpret the data correctly.
What Bitly Analytics can show
Bitly Analytics provides engagement-level metrics. You can see how many times users clicked your vanity link. You can view referrer data (via UTM tracking) to understand which social media platforms or websites drove the traffic. The dashboard also displays location data (city/country) and device type information.
These insights help you understand link performance. You might see that a specific vanity URL name performs exceptionally well on mobile devices during the weekend. This knowledge allows you to refine your future posting schedules and link naming strategies.
What requires other analytics tools
Bitly tracks the click, but it does not track what happens after the user lands on your site. You need to connect your links to tools like Google Analytics to measure conversions, purchases, or time on page. The dozens of pre-built connectors in the Bitly Marketplace simplify this integration.
You can include UTM parameters like utm_source and utm_medium in your destination URL before condensing it in our URL Shortener. Bitly will pass these parameters to your analytics tool, so you can see the full user journey from the initial click on your vanity link to the final conversion event.
Create vanity URLs as part of a broader link management workflow
Vanity URLs work best when you manage them consistently over time. They serve as more than just one-off assets for a single post. You build a cohesive system where every link reinforces your brand and guides users effectively.
We recommend treating every custom vanity URL as a long-term investment in your brand’s digital infrastructure. Consistent naming, regular maintenance, and strategic reuse create a seamless experience for your audience. You can learn more about strategic naming in our guide on vanity URL best practices.
Ready to start creating branded connections? Sign in to Bitly today to find the right vanity URL solutions for your team.
FAQs
What is a vanity URL?
A vanity URL is a customized short URL that uses a vanity domain and a readable back-half instead of a generic or auto-generated URL. Vanity URLs make links easier to recognize, remember, and trust, especially when shared across social media, SMS, email, or offline channels.
Do I need a branded domain to create a vanity URL?
Yes. You must have a branded or custom domain to create a true vanity URL. Using your own domain helps reinforce brand recognition and gives you full control over how your links appear and where they direct users.
Can vanity URLs be edited after they’re created?
Yes. One of the main benefits of vanity URLs created with a link management platform is that you can edit or redirect them after creation. This allows teams to update destinations, fix errors, or reuse links without changing the URL that users have already seen.
How many vanity URLs can I create?
The number of vanity URLs you can create depends on your Bitly plan and how you manage links. Many teams start with a small set of vanity URLs and expand over time as they run more campaigns or share links across more channels.
Can I track conversions from vanity URLs?
Vanity URLs provide engagement data, such as clicks and referrer information. To track conversions or downstream behavior, you will need to connect your links to tools like Google Analytics or other platform-native analytics tool solutions.
