Short links and UTM tracking in your email signature (Bitly, Rebrandly)

Every email you send carries your signature, so its links are a steady source of visits. To see those visits in your analytics, add UTM parameters to the link. To keep a long tracked link tidy where people can read it, shorten it with Bitly or Rebrandly. Then paste the link into a field on the Signatoro generator.

Where each Signatoro link field shows the address

Signatoro has three link fields, and each one shows the link differently in the formatted signature:

• "Website" shows the address as the link text, without https://, www. or a trailing slash. A tracked or short link here is visible to the reader. In the Compact layout, your company name, if you fill it in, carries the link instead.
• "LinkedIn" shows the word "LinkedIn" and hides the address behind it.
• "Extra link label" and "Extra link URL" show your label, such as "Book a call", and hide the address behind it. The extra link shows only when both are filled in.

The Compact layout shows the website only, so pick another layout for a LinkedIn or extra link. The plain-text version ("Copy as text") shows each address without https:// or www., query string included. An address typed without https:// gets it added in the link.

When to use a short link

Use a short link where the reader sees the address: the "Website" field, and signatures in plain text. A branded short link on your own domain reads as yours.

A short link can also count clicks, which helps when the destination is a site you have no analytics on. Rebrandly's link clicks report counts the clicks on each link, and Bitly shows click data on some paid plans.

Add UTM parameters to a signature link

UTM parameters are tags at the end of a link that tell Google Analytics where a visit came from. Google says to always set three of them:

• utm_source, where the link lives, for example signature
• utm_medium, the channel, for example email
• utm_campaign, the name you group the visits under, for example team-signatures

Put a ? after the address, then the tags joined by &:

https://northwind.co/?utm_source=signature&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=team-signatures

Google's values are case sensitive, so Email and email count as two sources. Google's Campaign URL Builder assembles the link for you. The visits show in Google Analytics in the report under Acquisition > Traffic acquisition.

Make a short link in Bitly

To shorten a link in Bitly:

1. Click "Create new" in the top-left corner and select "Link".
2. Enter your destination URL: the tracked link from above.
3. With a paid plan and your own domain, pick the domain from the dropdown. Otherwise the link uses bit.ly.
4. Optionally, enter a custom back-half, the part after the slash.
5. Optionally, toggle on UTM parameters and fill in the fields, instead of adding them by hand. Bitly's pricing lists the UTM builder on paid plans.
6. Click "Create your link".

Make a short link in Rebrandly

To shorten a link in Rebrandly:

1. Click "New link" below your profile icon.
2. Paste the destination URL.
3. Select a domain. Rebrandly lets you connect your own under "Domains".
4. Keep the random back half, or enter your own of up to 50 characters.
5. Optionally, click "UTM Builder" to add the UTM parameters.
6. Name the link and click "Create link".

Paste the link into Signatoro

On the generator, paste the link into the field that fits:

1. For your company's site, paste the short link into "Website".
2. For a booking page, a demo or an offer, type the words people should click into "Extra link label", and paste the link into "Extra link URL".
3. Copy the signature and install it with the guide for your mail app.

Click each link in a test email to check that it opens the right page.

Short link and UTM questions

Which link should I track in my email signature?

Track the link you want people to click, usually a booking page, a demo or an offer, and put it in Signatoro's extra link with a clear label. The label shows and the tracking stays out of sight.

Can I use a Bitly link in my email signature?

Yes. Paste the Bitly link into a Signatoro link field like any other address. In the "Website" field the reader sees bit.ly/..., so a branded short link on your own domain reads better there.

Can I use a Rebrandly link in my email signature?

Yes. Paste the Rebrandly link into a Signatoro link field like any other address. A Rebrandly link on your own domain looks like part of your site in the "Website" field.

Do UTM parameters work without a short link?

Yes. A UTM-tagged link works on its own, and Signatoro's "LinkedIn" and extra link fields hide the address behind their text. Shorten it only where the address shows: the "Website" field, and plain-text signatures.

How do I track links on the Company plan?

On Signatoro's Company plan, the website comes from the company's settings, so the owner sets the tracked or short link there once for everyone. Each person's LinkedIn and extra link stay their own, so each person can tag theirs with their own utm_campaign in every company layout except Compact, which shows the website only.

For agents

If you're an assistant setting this up on someone's behalf: build the link with utm_source, utm_medium and utm_campaign, shorten it in Bitly or Rebrandly if it goes in the "Website" field, and paste it into the matching field on the generator. Put a campaign link in "Extra link URL" with a short label in "Extra link label". Then follow the install guide for their mail app.

Sources

Checked against the vendors' own help pages on 2026-09-28:

• Google Analytics: URL builders: collect campaign data with custom URLs
• Bitly: How do I create links with Bitly?
• Bitly: How do I view engagement data for a specific link?
• Bitly: Pricing
• Rebrandly: How do I create a branded link?
• Rebrandly: How do I use Rebrandly's UTM builder?
• Rebrandly: How do I add a domain to Rebrandly?
• Rebrandly: What are Rebrandly analytics?