Bitly Serving Ads on Your QR Codes and Short Links
Bitly recently announced a major update that will affect anyone using its free URL shortening or QR code generation services. Starting in March 2025, when users click on a Bitly short link or scan a Bitly-generated QR code, they may first encounter a preview page before being redirected to the destination URL. This preview page will display information about the link destination and may also include advertisements.
This change is significant for businesses and marketers who have relied on Bitly’s free services for years. If you’ve ever created a Bitly short link or QR code and printed it on marketing materials, vehicle wraps or advertisements, this update impacts you.
Why This Matters
For years, Bitly has been a go-to tool for businesses looking to create short URLs and QR codes with built-in analytics. The simplicity and effectiveness of Bitly’s free plan made it a popular choice, especially for businesses that only needed to manage a handful of links.
As a marketing and advertising agency, Grapevine understands the importance of reliable and affordable short links and QR codes. We create and manage dozens of them every month across social media, printed materials, and branded campaigns. With Bitly’s new ad-supported model, it’s essential to explore alternative solutions.
Bitly, QR Code and Short URL FAQs
Every website Grapevine builds comes standard with a tool you can use to create short URLs. We also have a custom-built URL shortening tool and QR code generator! Contact us if you need help with creating your own short URLs or QR codes.
Short URLs are useful when you have a really long link but you want to make it easier for people to use. For example:
This blog’s URL:
https://grapeinc.com/bitly-serving-ads-on-free-accounts/
Shortened URL:
https://grapeinc.com/qrb
QR codes are an image that contains data like a link to a web page. When a person points their cellphone camera at the QR code, they are shown the web page in their phone’s browser.
It is important to use short URLs in QR codes because the longer a URL is, the more complicated the QR Code gets. This also affects how small it can be printed and still be usable. For example, here are two QR codes that link to this blog post.
| Long URL QR Code | Short URL QR Code |
|---|---|
 |  |
“Bitly is now using ads on free accounts to continue delivering free plans at no cost to our users.” – https://support.bitly.com/hc/en-us/articles/32874287800333-Why-are-there-ads-on-my-links
According to Bitly, free accounts are now ad supported. To see if your account is affected:
- Login to Bitly.com
- Click on your name in the top right corner
- If it says, “Free account,” Bitly can display ads on your links and QR code redirects
Upgrade to a paid Bitly account. Bitly says, “As a free Bitly user, you can remove the preview page experience from your links and QR Codes at any time by selecting a paid Bitly plan.” The “preview page experience” is where ads are displayed.
The lowest paid account at Bitly as of Feb. 2025 is $10/mo.
Bitly does not sell or provide a way to purchase ads with them directly. Instead, they say, “The ads shown on Bitly’s free accounts are generated from a third-party provider that prescreens ads for quality and relevance.”
Grapevine has a free QR Code generator at https://admin.grapeqr.us/. This allows you to create QR codes that link directly to your chosen URL without any interference from third-party ads or redirects.
Another reliable option is QRCode-Monkey.com. This offers free QR code generation without redirecting users to an intermediary page. Their QR codes go directly to your URL, making them a solid alternative to Bitly’s free QR code service.
Grapevine provides a tool in the websites we build to assist with creating and managing short URLs and their redirect destinations. If you have a website and need help in using or installing a redirect manager, contact us.
Due to Bitly’s change in their service agreement, Grapevine has decided to open our internal URL shortening tool our clients. We are still working out the security and terms of use, but you can sign up for an account today at https://admin.grapeqr.us/.
Need a Short URL or QR Code?
If you don’t have a website or just need a quick short URL or QR code, reach out to Grapevine. We’ll set you up in our system so you can continue sharing your links seamlessly—without the Bitly ad interruptions.
Final Thoughts
Bitly’s new ad-supported model is a game-changer for marketers and businesses that rely on short URLs and QR codes. If you want to avoid ads on your links, it’s time to explore alternative solutions. At Grapevine, we’re here to help you navigate these changes with custom-built tools that ensure your marketing remains seamless and professional.
