# How to Change a Bitly Link's Destination for Free (and What Counts Against Your Plan)

Source: https://lots.link/blog/bitly-change-destination-free
Published: 2026-11-03T03:12:44.077+00:00

No. On Bitly's free plan you cannot change a link's destination after you create it: Bitly's pricing page lists no redirects on Free, and destination changes start on the $10 Core plan with 5 a month. On LotsLink you can change where any short link goes whenever you like, free, with no monthly count, and the short link and its QR code stay exactly the same.

*Checked on 2 November 2026 on Bitly's own pricing page, help center and blog.*

If you print menus, flyers, stickers or packaging, this is the one feature that decides whether a QR code is a good idea. A code that points at a link you can edit survives a new menu, a new offer or a moved page. A code you cannot edit becomes a reprint.

## Can you change a Bitly link's destination for free?

Bitly calls this a redirect. Its pricing table defines it as "Change the destination page for links and QR Codes", and here is what each plan gets:

| Bitly plan | Price | Destination changes a month | New short links a month | QR codes a month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | None | 5 | 2 |
| Core | $10 a month, billed yearly only ($120) | 5 | 100 | 5 |
| Growth | $29 a month, billed yearly ($348) | 20 | 500 | 10 |
| Premium | $199 a month, billed yearly ($2,388) | 110 | 3,000 | 200 |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom | Custom | Custom |

*Checked on 2 November 2026: bitly.com/pages/pricing.*

Bitly says the same thing in words in three places:

- Its free plan article says "you cannot change a free-plan link's destination after creation".
- Its redirect article (dated 15 April 2026) says "Redirect features are available on paid Bitly plans".
- Its help article on links made without an account says "Links cannot be redirected using a Free account" and tells you to create a new link and replace the old one wherever it's used.

That last point matters if something is already printed. A printed code points at the bit.ly address, so on the free plan the only fix is a new link and a new print run.

## What counts against your Bitly limits

Two counters are in play, and Bitly's pages describe them separately.

1. **Redirects.** The redirect article says "Each destination URL change counts as one redirect" toward your monthly redirect limit. If you run out, you wait for the next billing cycle or upgrade. Bitly's help center says the redirect allowance covers bit.ly links, links on your own domain and QR codes.
2. **Your link total.** Bitly's "What are my monthly limits?" help article says "Redirects count against your total link limit. If you hit your link limit, you'll be unable to shorten new links or redirect links until the start of the next month." It also says the short link total includes QR codes you create and links for Bitly Pages.

So on a paid Bitly plan, changing a destination can draw on both a redirect allowance and your monthly link count. Seeing both on your billing and usage page before you rely on it is worth two minutes.

*Checked on 2 November 2026: Bitly blog "How To Change Your Destination URL with a Bitly Redirect", help center "What are my monthly limits?" (updated 17 August 2026) and the Free Short Link Generator FAQ (updated 27 October 2026).*

## What happens to Bitly links and QR codes when your plan changes

Moving up is simple: Bitly says your existing links and QR codes carry over to any paid plan, and links made on the free plan do not expire. Moving down depends on your own domain. Bitly's downgrade article (last updated 15 April 2024) says:

- Your bit.ly links keep working.
- Links on your own domain keep working only while the domain's DNS still points at Bitly, Bitly stops renewing the domain's SSL certificate, so visitors can get an insecure-site warning once it expires, and you cannot create new links on that domain.
- Links on a complimentary domain stop working when that domain's registration expires.
- QR codes behave the same way as the short links they point to.

*Checked on 2 November 2026: Bitly help center "What happens when I downgrade to a lower subscription plan?" and the free plan article.*

## How to change a link's destination in LotsLink

LotsLink links, QR codes and clicks are free and unlimited (up to 1,000 new links per person in any 24 hours). You pay only if you put your own domain in the link. Changing a destination is not metered at all.

**In the dashboard**

1. Sign in at [lots.link](https://lots.link) and open the link in your list.
2. Choose Edit Link.
3. Replace the Destination URL with the new page.
4. Save.
5. Open the short link in a new tab and check that it lands on the new page.

**By asking your agent**

If you have connected Claude, ChatGPT or another agent ([setup page](https://www.lotstech.com/mcp/lots-link)), say it in plain words: "Change the destination of my menu link to https://example.com/summer-menu." The agent uses the `lotslink_update_link` tool with the new `original_url`.

Your role still applies: owners and admins can change any link in a workspace, and members can change their own.

### What I saw when I ran it

On 2 November 2026 I ran this through the LotsLink MCP end to end. I created a short link to a spring menu page, made a QR code for it, then changed the destination to a summer menu page.

- The reply said "Destination updated. The short URL and QR code stay the same."
- The short link answered with a redirect to the new page straight away, and the response confirmed the redirect cache was purged.
- The QR code image address was identical before and after, because the code holds the short link, not the destination.

The new destination gets the same safety checks as a new link, including Safe Browsing, so a link to a known malicious site is refused. Clicks, UTM tags and the active state are kept, and the link records each change with the old address, the new one and the time.

## What happens to your links when your plan changes on LotsLink

Free lots.link links and QR codes stay available whatever you do. If you add your own domain and later stop funding it, existing links on that domain keep redirecting and your analytics stay readable. New links on an unfunded custom domain pause. There is no plan that unlocks editing: it is part of every account.

Your own domain costs $4 a month per domain on pay as you go, or a plan with a block of domains: Starter $9 a month for 3, Pro $24 for 10, Business $59 for 30 (yearly is ten monthly payments). Checked against LotsLink's live pricing on 2 November 2026.

## If you run a business with printed QR codes

Pick the link, not the code, as the thing you maintain. Put one short link on the menu, the shop window and the delivery box, and change its destination when the offer changes. If you want your own address on it, such as `go.yourshop.com/menu`, that is the one part that costs money. Your slug is yours to pick, as long as it does not contain a brand name. The step-by-step version for print is in [How to Change a QR Code's Link After Printing](https://lots.link/blog/change-qr-code-link-after-printing), and [Dynamic vs Static QR Codes](https://lots.link/blog/dynamic-vs-static-qr-codes) explains how to tell which kind you already have.

## If you are a founder or marketer

Campaign links change: the landing page moves, a launch ends, a test wins. With editing free and uncounted you can point one link at a new page each week without watching an allowance, and the click history stays on the same link. A repeat visit to the same link within 10 seconds counts once, so the numbers are clicks, not inflated by double taps. For the full side-by-side, see [LotsLink vs Bitly](https://lots.link/blog/lotslink-vs-bitly) and [Bitly Alternatives](https://lots.link/blog/bitly-alternatives).

## If you manage links for clients

Give each client a workspace and, if they want it, their own domain. Owners and admins can change any link in the workspace, so you can fix a client's destination without touching their other links, and client staff can be viewers. More in [Link Management for Agencies](https://lots.link/blog/link-management-for-agencies).

## FAQ

### Can you change a Bitly link's destination on the free plan?

No. Bitly's pricing page lists no redirects on Free, and its own articles say you cannot change a free-plan link's destination after creation. Redirects start on Core, with 5 a month (checked on 2 November 2026).

### Does changing a Bitly destination use up my link limit?

Bitly's help center says redirects count against your total link limit, and its redirect article says each destination change counts as one redirect against a monthly redirect limit. A single change can therefore touch both counters (checked on 2 November 2026).

### What happens to my Bitly links and QR codes if I downgrade?

Your bit.ly links keep working. Links on your own domain keep working while DNS still points at Bitly, but the SSL certificate is no longer renewed and new links on that domain are blocked. Links on a complimentary domain stop when its registration expires. QR codes follow the link they point to (Bitly's downgrade article, last updated 15 April 2024, checked on 2 November 2026).

### Does the short link or QR code change when I edit a destination in LotsLink?

No. The short URL, slug and QR code stay the same, so printed codes keep working, and the new page reaches every visitor at once. Clicks and UTM tags are kept.

### Is there a limit on how often I can change a LotsLink destination?

There is no monthly count of destination changes. The one limit LotsLink states is up to 1,000 new links per person in any 24 hours, which applies to creating links.

### Can my AI agent change the destination for me?

Yes. Ask it in plain words and it uses the `lotslink_update_link` tool. Owners and admins can change any link in a workspace, and members can change their own.

*Free short links, QR codes and click analytics at [LotsLink](https://lots.link). Prices checked on 2 November 2026.*