What happens behind the scenes when you visit a Bitly URL in your web browser?

When you click a Bitly URL, your browser first sends a request to Bitly's servers. Bitly's system looks up the short URL, retrieves the original long URL it points to, and then issues an HTTP redirect (typically a 301 or 302 status code) to your browser. Your browser then automatically makes a new request to the original long URL, and you are taken to the intended destination page. Bitly uses this process to track clicks and gather analytics.