The Bitly MCP Server

Hello 👋

If you're here, you probably already know what an MCP Server is, but if you need the primer, check out our What is MCP? page.

The Bitly MCP Server provides access to all of the functionality you'd expect out of a Bitly interface -- like the Bitly API, like the bitly.com website, like the Bitly Chrome Extension, like the Bitly Mobile app -- but this time for your AI agent of choice.

Want to use Bitly with Claude? Bitly MCP Server.
Want to use Bitly with Cursor, VSCode or Windsurf? Bitly MCP Server.
Want to use Bitly with ChatGPT -- well for now, see our Bitly Custom GPT but we'll have OAuth sorted out soon for that, so you'll be able to connect the MCP Server there as well.

Quick Setup

The Bitly MCP Server is hosted at https://api-ssl.bitly.com/v4/mcp.

Get your Bitly API token at https://bitly.com/settings/api and add our server to your AI assistant config.

Below is the grid of configurations with links to detailed instructions -- if we're missing one that you use, you will find guidance on the Configuration Details page. We will be adding additional configuration guides over time.

AI Agent	Configuration Instructions	Notes
Cursor	Hit me with the config!	HTTP transport – super simple
Claude Desktop	Yes please!	Uses `npx` proxy for local connection
VS Code	I want it!	HTTP transport in workspace config
Windsurf	Aeolus, take me there!	Uses `npx` proxy for local connection
Claude Web Interface (claude.ai)	Womp womp	Coming Soon. We recommend using Claude Desktop in the meantime. Requires Workspace Admin enablement for Team and Enterprise Plans
ChatGPT	This space intentionally left blank.	Coming Soon. See our Bitly Custom GPT in the meantime Requires Team, Enterprise, and Edu workspace plan
Most other HTTP-compatible agents	Check our Configuration section	Generic HTTP setup works for most

Hey Bitly, What's with the "Coming Soon"? Yes... well... that... Our OAuth implementation doesn't currently support Dynamic Client Registration which we will sort out in the coming weeks. Once done, this will fully enable Claude on the web and ChatGPT. Stay tuned for our fast follow.

Configurations

Cursor

Add to ~/.cursor/mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "Bitly": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://api-ssl.bitly.com/v4/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_BITLY_AUTH_TOKEN"
      }
    }
  }
}

Replace YOUR_BITLY_AUTH_TOKEN with your actual token, restart Cursor, and you're good to go!

Claude Desktop

Prerequisite: This installation requires an installed version of npm with npx support. Make sure you have Node.js 20 LTS or higher installed.

Add to your Claude configuration file:

macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "Bitly": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "mcp-remote",
        "https://api-ssl.bitly.com/v4/mcp",
        "--header",
        "Authorization: Bearer ${AUTH_TOKEN}"
      ],
      "env": {
        "AUTH_TOKEN": "YOUR_BITLY_AUTH_TOKEN"
      }
    }
  }
}

Replace YOUR_BITLY_AUTH_TOKEN with your token, save, and restart Claude Desktop.

VS Code

Add to ~/.vscode/mcp.json in your workspace:

{
  "servers": {
    "Bitly": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://api-ssl.bitly.com/v4/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_BITLY_AUTH_TOKEN"
      }
    }
  }
}

Remember to swap out YOUR_BITLY_AUTH_TOKEN with your actual token from bitly.com/settings/api.

Windsurf

Add to ~/.windsurf/config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "Bitly": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "mcp-remote",
        "https://api-ssl.bitly.com/v4/mcp",
        "--header",
        "Authorization: Bearer ${AUTH_TOKEN}"
      ],
      "env": {
        "AUTH_TOKEN": "YOUR_BITLY_AUTH_TOKEN"
      }
    }
  }
}

Authentication

Getting your API Token

Log in to your Bitly account at bitly.com
Navigate to Settings → API
Click Generate Access Token
Copy the token and store it securely

Test It Out

Once configured, try asking your AI:

"What Bitly tools are available?"

"Please shorten this URL: https://example.com/very-long-url"

From there you should be all set!