{"id":857,"date":"2026-04-20T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-20T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tolinku.com\/blog\/?p=857"},"modified":"2026-03-07T03:48:28","modified_gmt":"2026-03-07T08:48:28","slug":"migrate-from-bitly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tolinku.com\/blog\/migrate-from-bitly\/","title":{"rendered":"Migrating from Bitly to Tolinku for Deep Linking"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Bitly is a URL shortener. It shortens links, tracks clicks, and provides basic analytics. What it doesn&#39;t do is deep link into mobile apps, handle deferred deep linking, serve Universal Links or App Links, or provide app-specific routing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you&#39;ve been using Bitly for your mobile links and want real deep linking, this migration is less about moving existing functionality and more about upgrading from URL shortening to a full deep linking platform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For the general migration guide, see <a href=\"https:\/\/tolinku.com\/blog\/migrating-to-tolinku\/\">Migrating to Tolinku from Branch, Firebase, and AppsFlyer<\/a>. For a comparison of link management platforms, see <a href=\"https:\/\/tolinku.com\/blog\/link-management-platforms\/\">Link Management Platforms Compared<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Bitly Does vs What You Need<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Feature<\/th>\n<th>Bitly<\/th>\n<th>Tolinku<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody><tr>\n<td>URL shortening<\/td>\n<td>Yes<\/td>\n<td>Yes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Click analytics<\/td>\n<td>Yes<\/td>\n<td>Yes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Custom branded domains<\/td>\n<td>Yes<\/td>\n<td>Yes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Deep linking into apps<\/td>\n<td>No<\/td>\n<td>Yes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Deferred deep linking<\/td>\n<td>No<\/td>\n<td>Yes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Universal Links (iOS)<\/td>\n<td>No<\/td>\n<td>Yes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>App Links (Android)<\/td>\n<td>No<\/td>\n<td>Yes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Smart app banners<\/td>\n<td>No<\/td>\n<td>Yes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>App store routing<\/td>\n<td>No<\/td>\n<td>Yes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Referral tracking<\/td>\n<td>No<\/td>\n<td>Yes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>A\/B testing<\/td>\n<td>No<\/td>\n<td>Yes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The core reason to migrate: Bitly links always open in the browser. They can&#39;t open your app directly, can&#39;t route users to specific in-app screens, and can&#39;t preserve link context through an app install.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 1: Audit Your Bitly Links<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Export Your Links<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Bitly provides CSV exports of your links. Export your complete link history:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Short link (e.g., <code>bit.ly\/abc123<\/code> or <code>yourdomain.co\/abc123<\/code>)<\/li>\n<li>Destination URL<\/li>\n<li>Click count<\/li>\n<li>Creation date<\/li>\n<li>Tags (if you use Bitly&#39;s tagging)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Focus on links that are still actively getting clicks. Links with zero clicks in the last 90 days can be deprioritized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Categorize by Use Case<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Sort your Bitly links into categories:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Marketing links<\/strong> (campaigns, social posts, email): These need to be recreated as Tolinku routes with deep linking capability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Utility links<\/strong> (documentation, blog posts, web pages): These might not need deep linking. Simple URL shortening is sufficient. You can still create them in Tolinku, or keep them in Bitly if preferred.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>App-related links<\/strong> (links that SHOULD open your app but currently don&#39;t): These are your highest priority. Every link that currently sends mobile users to a web page when it should open your app is a missed opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Custom Domain<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you use a custom domain with Bitly (e.g., <code>yourdomain.co<\/code>), you can transfer it to Tolinku. If you use Bitly&#39;s default domain (<code>bit.ly<\/code>), you&#39;ll need your own domain for Tolinku.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 2: Set Up Tolinku<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Create Your Appspace<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Sign up at <a href=\"https:\/\/tolinku.com\">tolinku.com<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Create an Appspace and configure your iOS and Android app settings<\/li>\n<li>Set your web fallback URLs<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Domain Configuration<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Set up your branded domain:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>If transferring from Bitly<\/strong>: You&#39;ll need to update DNS from Bitly&#39;s servers to Tolinku&#39;s. This is the same process as any domain transfer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>If starting fresh<\/strong>: Choose a subdomain like <code>go.yourapp.com<\/code> or <code>links.yourapp.com<\/code> and set up DNS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For detailed domain setup instructions, see <a href=\"https:\/\/tolinku.com\/blog\/branded-link-domains\/\">Branded Link Domains: Setup and Management Guide<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Create Routes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>For each Bitly link that should deep link into your app, create a Tolinku route:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Bitly Link<\/th>\n<th>Tolinku Route<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody><tr>\n<td><code>yourdomain.co\/summer-sale<\/code> \u2192 <code>https:\/\/yourapp.com\/sale\/summer<\/code><\/td>\n<td>Route: <code>\/summer-sale<\/code> with deep link to sale screen<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><code>yourdomain.co\/new-feature<\/code> \u2192 <code>https:\/\/yourapp.com\/blog\/new-feature<\/code><\/td>\n<td>Route: <code>\/new-feature<\/code> with deep link to feature screen<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><code>yourdomain.co\/invite-ABC<\/code> \u2192 <code>https:\/\/yourapp.com\/invite?code=ABC<\/code><\/td>\n<td>Route: <code>\/invite\/:code<\/code> with referral deep linking<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The key upgrade: Bitly redirects to a web URL. Tolinku routes check if the user has your app installed and either opens the app directly (via Universal Links\/App Links) or falls back to the web URL.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 3: Integrate the Tolinku SDK<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Since Bitly has no app SDK, this step is net-new integration (not a replacement).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">iOS Setup<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Add TolinkuSDK via Swift Package Manager<\/li>\n<li>Configure Universal Links in your Associated Domains entitlement<\/li>\n<li>Add deep link handling to your SceneDelegate or AppDelegate<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Android Setup<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Add the Tolinku SDK dependency<\/li>\n<li>Configure App Links intent filters in AndroidManifest.xml<\/li>\n<li>Add deep link handling to your main Activity<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Deep Link Routing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Implement a router that maps URL paths to app screens:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre><code class=\"language-swift\">\/\/ iOS\nfunc handleDeepLink(url: URL) {\n    let path = url.path\n    switch true {\n    case path.hasPrefix(&quot;\/product\/&quot;):\n        let id = String(path.dropFirst(&quot;\/product\/&quot;.count))\n        navigator.showProduct(id: id)\n    case path.hasPrefix(&quot;\/invite\/&quot;):\n        let code = String(path.dropFirst(&quot;\/invite\/&quot;.count))\n        navigator.handleInvite(code: code)\n    case path == &quot;\/summer-sale&quot;:\n        navigator.showSalePage()\n    default:\n        navigator.showHome()\n    }\n}\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 4: Migration Strategy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Option A: Gradual Migration (Recommended)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Set up Tolinku with a new subdomain (e.g., <code>go.yourapp.com<\/code>)<\/li>\n<li>Use Tolinku links for all new campaigns and content<\/li>\n<li>Keep Bitly active for existing links<\/li>\n<li>High-traffic Bitly links: recreate in Tolinku and update the destination where possible (social media bios, email templates, website buttons)<\/li>\n<li>Low-traffic Bitly links: let them continue through Bitly<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>This approach requires no downtime and no DNS changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Option B: Domain Transfer<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you want to use the same custom domain:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Recreate all active Bitly link paths in Tolinku<\/li>\n<li>Lower DNS TTL to 60 seconds<\/li>\n<li>Update CNAME to point to Tolinku<\/li>\n<li>Verify all routes work<\/li>\n<li>Raise TTL back to normal<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Warning<\/strong>: Any Bitly short links you didn&#39;t recreate in Tolinku will break after the DNS change. Use the gradual approach unless you have a manageable number of links and can recreate them all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 5: What Changes for Users<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Mobile Users (The Big Upgrade)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Before: User clicks a Bitly link on their phone \u2192 browser opens \u2192 web page loads \u2192 user has to manually find the content in the app (or doesn&#39;t bother).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After: User clicks a Tolinku link on their phone \u2192 app opens directly to the relevant screen (or app store if not installed, then deferred deep link on first open).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is the entire value of migrating. Every link you share now has the ability to open your app and take users directly to specific content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Desktop Users<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Same behavior as Bitly: the link redirects to the web fallback URL. Deep linking is mobile-specific; desktop users continue to get the web experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Analytics<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Tolinku provides <a href=\"https:\/\/tolinku.com\/features\/analytics\">click analytics<\/a> similar to Bitly&#39;s: clicks over time, geographic distribution, device breakdown. Additionally, you get:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>App open vs web fallback breakdown<\/li>\n<li>Install attribution for new users<\/li>\n<li>Conversion funnel from click to in-app action<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Common Questions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Can I keep Bitly for some links?<\/strong> Yes. You don&#39;t have to migrate everything. Use Tolinku for links where deep linking matters (marketing campaigns, sharing, referrals) and keep Bitly for simple URL shortening if you prefer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What about Bitly&#39;s QR codes?<\/strong> Tolinku routes have their own QR codes. Any QR code pointing to a Bitly URL will continue to work through Bitly. New QR codes should use Tolinku links.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Is there a redirect from Bitly to Tolinku?<\/strong> No. Bitly links redirect to their configured destination URL, not to Tolinku. You can&#39;t &quot;forward&quot; Bitly links to Tolinku. You need to create new links and update references.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Timeline<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Day 1<\/strong>: Set up Tolinku Appspace, domain, initial routes\n<strong>Day 2-3<\/strong>: SDK integration and deep link handling\n<strong>Day 4<\/strong>: Testing\n<strong>Day 5<\/strong>: Begin using Tolinku links for new campaigns\n<strong>Ongoing<\/strong>: Gradually update existing link references from Bitly to Tolinku<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For more on branded link strategy, see <a href=\"https:\/\/tolinku.com\/blog\/branded-short-links\/\">Branded Short Links: Setup and Best Practices<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Move from Bitly to Tolinku for mobile deep linking. Upgrade from simple URL shortening to full deep linking with app routing and attribution.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":856,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_title":"Migrating from Bitly to Tolinku for Deep Linking","rank_math_description":"Move from Bitly to Tolinku for mobile deep linking. 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