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Using a link shortener with dlvr.it

Want shorter, trackable links in your social posts? Learn how to connect bit.ly, set up a third-party shortener, or use your own custom branded domain in dlvr.it.

dlvr.it can automatically shorten the URLs in your posts using bit.ly, a third-party shortener of your choice, or your own custom branded domain. This article covers all three options.
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Note on click tracking: If you use a third-party shortener instead of dlvr.it's built-in service, click stats will be tracked in your shortener's account — not in dlvr.it.

In this article

  1. Connect bit.ly

  2. Connect a third-party shortener

  3. Set up a custom short domain

1. Connect bit.ly

You'll need an active bit.ly account before getting started.

  1. Log into dlvr.it and click the Socials tab.

  2. Click Short Links, then click + Add Shortener.

  3. Choose bit.ly from the list and click Connect.

  4. Sign into your bit.ly account and click Continue.

  5. Confirm the authorization was successful and click Save.

  6. bit.ly will now appear in your Short Links list. Select it as your Default if you'd like it to apply to all new routes automatically.

To apply bit.ly to your existing routes: Click the edit (pen) icon next to bit.ly in the list, choose Apply this shortener to all existing routes, and click Save.

2. Connect a third-party shortener

dlvr.it supports any third-party shortener that provides API access and returns a shortened URL in plain text format.

dlvr.it does not currently support JSON or XML formatted API responses — plain text only.

  1. Log into dlvr.it and click the Socials tab.

  2. Click Short Links, then click + Add Shortener.

  3. In the dropdown, choose 3rd Party Shortener.

  4. Enter the API URL for your shortening service, using @URL@ as the placeholder for the link to be shortened. For example:

   http://myshortener.com/shorten?url=@URL@

With additional parameters if required:

   http://su.pr/api/simpleshorten?login=janedoe&apiKey=48d1d55b5a48d4ec2c5152f4419b3c44&url=@URL@

We suggest using your shortener's domain as the display name — for example, su.pr if you're using su.pr links.

  1. Click Save.

3. Set up a custom short domain

A custom short domain lets you use your own branded URL for every link dlvr.it shares — for example, go.yourbrand.com instead of a generic shortener.

Step 1: Register a domain

You'll need to own and control the domain you want to use. If you're starting from scratch, aim for something 5–10 characters long — short enough to save space in posts, distinctive enough to reinforce your brand.

Step 2: Update your DNS settings

You'll need to make one of the following DNS changes depending on your setup:

Using a root domain (e.g. yourdomain.com) — add an A Record:

yourdomain.com.        IN    A    54.213.66.64

Using a subdomain (e.g. short.yourdomain.com) — add a CNAME record:

short.yourdomain.com.        IN    CNAME    dlvr.it.

DNS changes can take up to 24 hours to propagate, though most complete much faster. dlvr.it won't let you finish the setup until DNS is confirmed — this prevents broken links from being published.

Step 3: Add your domain to dlvr.it

  1. Log into dlvr.it and go to Socials → Short Links → + Add Shortener.

  2. In the dropdown, select Custom Domain.

  3. Enter your custom short domain, choose whether to apply it to existing routes and/or set it as the default for new routes, and click Save.

One custom short domain can be connected per dlvr.it account. The Root Redirect field should be your main domain (e.g. www.example.com) — complex URLs with paths are not supported here.

Want to post full, unshortened URLs instead? See: Posting full, unshortened URLs in dlvr.it.
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Still having trouble? Reach out to our support team -- we'll help you sort it out.

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