How to Shorten URLs Using Bitly & Airtable with Pabbly Connect

Learn how to automate URL shortening using Bitly and Airtable with Pabbly Connect in this detailed tutorial. Follow the exact steps for seamless integration. Eliminate manual repetitive tasks from your workflow. Discover proven automation methods with intuitive steps designed for efficiency-minded professionals.

Watch Step By Step Video Tutorial Below

1. Setting Up Pabbly Connect for URL Shortening

To start automating the URL shortening process using Pabbly Connect, first, access the Pabbly Connect website. Sign in to your existing account or create a new one if you’re a new user. Pabbly Connect offers 100 free tasks every month for new users, making it easy to get started.

After logging in, you will see the Pabbly Connect dashboard. Here, click on the ‘Create Workflow’ button located in the top right corner. You will be prompted to name your workflow. For this tutorial, name it ‘Shorten URLs using Bitly and Airtable’. Select an appropriate folder for organization, such as ‘Bitly Automations’, and then click on ‘Create’ to initiate your workflow.

2. Trigger Setup: Connecting Airtable with Pabbly Connect

In this step, we will set up the trigger application using Pabbly Connect. Click on the trigger section and select Airtable as your trigger application. For the trigger event, choose ‘New Record’. This means that every time a new record is added to Airtable, it will trigger the workflow in Pabbly Connect.

• Select Airtable as the trigger application.
• Choose ‘New Record’ as the trigger event.
• Click on ‘Connect’ to link Airtable with Pabbly Connect.

Once connected, you’ll need to authorize Pabbly Connect to access your Airtable account. Select the base you want to work with (e.g., ‘Bit Links’) and grant access. After successful authorization, create a record in Airtable with the document title and URL to proceed with the automation.

3. Action Setup: Shortening URLs with Bitly

Now that we have set up the trigger, it’s time to configure the action step using Pabbly Connect. For the action application, select Bitly and choose ‘Shorten Link’ as the action event. This action will take the long URL from the previous step and convert it into a shorter version.

Click on ‘Connect’ to establish a connection with Bitly. If you have an existing connection, you can use that; otherwise, create a new connection. Authorize Pabbly Connect to access your Bitly account by clicking on ‘Allow’. After authorization, you will need to select the group in your Bitly account where the shortened links will be stored.

• Select the Bitly group for your links.
• Map the long URL from the previous step.
• Click on ‘Save and Send Test Request’ to generate the shortened URL.

After clicking ‘Save and Send Test Request’, Pabbly Connect will return a response containing the shortened URL. This confirms that the integration between Airtable and Bitly via Pabbly Connect is working successfully.

4. Updating Airtable with Shortened URL

The final step involves updating the original record in Airtable with the newly created shortened URL using Pabbly Connect. To do this, add another action step and select Airtable again. For the action event, choose ‘Update Record’. This will allow you to replace the long URL with the shortened version.

Connect to Airtable using your existing connection. Select the same base and table as before. For the record ID, map the ID from the previous step. This ensures that the correct record is updated with the shortened URL.

Map the record ID from the previous response. Map the shortened URL to the URL field in Airtable. Click on ‘Save and Send Test Request’ to finalize the update.

Once you receive a confirmation response, check your Airtable to verify that the long URL has been successfully replaced with the shortened URL. This completes the automation process using Pabbly Connect between Airtable and Bitly.

Conclusion: Automating URL Shortening with Pabbly Connect

In this tutorial, we demonstrated how to automate the URL shortening process using Pabbly Connect, Bitly, and Airtable. By following the exact steps outlined, you can efficiently manage your URL records and streamline your workflow.

Utilizing Pabbly Connect for integrating these applications allows for seamless automation, ensuring that every time a new document is added to Airtable, its long URL is automatically shortened and updated. This not only saves time but also enhances productivity.