Create a Test Account

Since an access token is required to create a test request and verify that your calls are functioning properly, you will need a user account and group to generate the token.

There are a couple of options to handle this test data without cluttering your current groups with test links.

• Create a free test account. By going to bitly.com and signing up for an account, any tests from the new group will not appear in your main account and will not impact your rate limits. However, the limits on a free account are lower than limits with a subscription and you will not be able to test with a custom domain.
• Create a separate test group within your current account. With this option, you will generate a token with an existing user account. While this will allow you to test with a custom domain and keep your test links in a separate group, the tests do count towards your account's rate limits.

Whichever option you choose, you'll use the group_id from the test group to keep your tests separated from actual production work. The current group's ID is displayed in the URL when logged in to Bitly.

https://app.bitly.com/[group_id]/bitlinks

For paid subscriptions, select the proper group from the profile menu by clicking Change Group.