Okay so you have 50 URLs and you want to convert them all into Bit.ly shortened URLs. But you don’t want to manually copy 50 URLs into bit.ly, and then manually paste 50 URLs out of Bitly.
Here is a tool you can use to mass shorten up to 50 bit.ly URLs. This simple tool uses Google Docs and the bit.ly API to automate the process. Here is how you do it.
Get a Bitly Account
Go get a free bitly.com account and log in to your account. Go to your account settings page. In settings, under advanced, you’ll see “OAuth Applications”, click the link and create a Generic Access Token (have this page open as you’ll need the keys in the the next steps).
On this page you need to confirm your Bitly password and go ahead and click “generate token”.
Get the Google Docs spreadsheet
Sign in to your Google Drive account and click this link to download the Google Docs spreadsheet
A copy of the spreadsheet will open. Now go to “File” -> “Make a copy” (Important: as this creates a copy which you can edit)
Start Creating Bulk Bit.ly URLs
Place the access token you generated in the earlier step into cell A3. Paste your URLs into cell A6
Your bit.ly shortened URLs should now appear in the Short URL column (column B6).
Et voila, it’s as simple as that
Matt
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This works only if I keep the document on google drive. If I download it, the formulas all work initially but then if I close and then reopen my spreadsheet, it gets screwed up. So strange.
That’s right Carole, won’t work ‘offline’ as the ‘formulas need to talk with’ the Bitly API. Haven’t tried it but the Google Drive Desktop app might work, let’s you work with docs and spreadsheets offline and it automagically saves and syncs.
OMG. I have needed this since forever. Thank you SO very much for creating it!
I am happy to hear that you found it helpful Karri
Same here! Thank you very much for this useful hint!
After I shortened 250 links I got a “Rate Limit Exceeded”- error message. I expected this error much earlier. Does anyone know how long I have to wait before I can continue?
Hi Alex, glad you like it! This Bitly API developer page says “If you are experiencing rate limiting errors, please wait 60 minutes to resume making API calls.”
I’ve been using this for a couple of weeks and love it, but recently I’m seeing a message that I’m about to reach the ImportData limit of 50 (?)
I’ve managed to find so far, that the new version of Sheets doesn’t have this limit, but when I’ve tried to copy the function in to a new version it tells me that urlencode is an ‘unknown function’
Any ideas on creating this same tool in the new Sheets?
Hi Duncan, glad you like it. I haven’t experienced this, not sure if this will work but instead of copying the formulas into a new spreadsheet, see if making a copy of the spreadsheet works (top menu > file > make a copy). Let me know how you go.
Awesome tool! Thank you!
Do you know if there is a way to Title the links within a given parameter? For example, I’d like to shorten links with a title in order – Podcast 1, Podcast 2, Podcast 3, etc. or another batch, Blog 1, Blog 2, etc.
Is this possible?
Thanks Ellory… that’s a curveball question I’m afraid I don’t know the answer to, sorry
Perhaps you can use the following to accomplish your task.
http://support.bitly.com/knowledgebase/articles/76740-what-s-a-custom-short-domain-and-why-do-i-want-on
really good guide. I never thought that bitly can be used to mass-shortening links!
Thanks for sharing mate! It really helped a lot!
Hey, thanks for this simple and useful tool and a detailed write-up ! Loved it !
You have no ideaaaaaa what this done for me, everyday I have been converting 38 urls’ one after the other…Best thing that’s happened this week lol. Thanks Guys, ya’ll ROCK!!!
Happy you like it Cathrine!
Ohhhh….. I LOVE THIS. Huge thanks Matt!!!!
How about 10k urls in bulk?
I’m afraid that this approach won’t be able to shorten that amount of links
Excellent. This does work! (some do not)
Thank You!
Great little Gdocs applet. Thank you!
Great Doc! thanks for share!
Thank you Matt for this post. You just saved me a whole lot of time! To be honest with you my eye first glazed over when I glanced at the API steps, but it was very well explained an incredibly simple.
Hi Ralph, I’m really happy to hear that you got it working and that you found it useful, thanks Matt
If you want an offline version, download as CSV
OH. MY. GOD.
That works flawlessly!
Thank you so much!
Super helpful thank you!!
Is anyone finding that bit links are not being created well and constantly loading or coming pu with N/a?
The same here, I could create short url some weeks ago but now I get only “loading…” message and can´t create. Is the script still working?
I just tested the spreadsheet plugging in my bitly oauth access token and it works for me (see http://postimg.org/image/sqgbciqld/)
Matt if you want to replicate the issue mentioned by others. Place a link to be shortened and leave it there DO NOT ERASE it. Then come back hours later sometimes the next day and then some or all will say N/A. Sometimes it fixes itself sometimes it doesn’t.
This is amazing. It just saved me soooo much time. Thanks!
can this be done for 2000 links by creating 40 different files?
Hi Randy.. have never tried that many, but I doubt it works as your account api only allows for 50 api calls..