This post originally appeared on FreeTech4Teachers.com. If you see it in other places, it has been used without authorization.

Bitly is a helpful URL shortener that Ive used for lots of years. There is a simple method to quickly identify whats behind a Bitly URL without in fact clicking on the link. The trick is to simply add a “+” to the end of any Bitly URL. When you include the “+” the URL will redirect to Bitly rather of to whatever the initial URL was.

If you want to attempt this with a TinyURL, tinyurl.com/emkns9a8 will lead you to the page for the Practical Ed Tech Virtual Summer Camp, however including a “+” at the end of that TinyURL will take you to the page where you can see the original link without clicking on it.

Bitly is an useful URL shortener that Ive utilized for several years. As a signed up user I can develop customized, shortened URLs that people can in fact spell. I use these whenever I need to share a link to a Canva or Google Slides discussion because the default URLs offered by those services are always long and incoherent..

Heres a video summary of how to see whats behind a TinyURL without in fact clicking on the link.

Applications for Education.
Structure good digital citizenship and cyber safety abilities is something that everybody should be assisting our trainees do. Showing them little pointers like this one to avoid clicking on suspicious links is among the manner ins which we can assist our students develop their digital citizenship and cyber security abilities.

As I do every year, Im taking today as a break from releasing brand-new article and will be republishing some of the most popular posts of the year. Heres one from April.

Unfortunately, not all Bitly users are utilizing them for good factors. Some individuals utilize them to hide wicked links. Luckily, there is an easy method to quickly determine whats behind a Bitly URL without actually clicking the link. The trick is to just add a “+” to the end of any Bitly URL. When you include the “+” the URL will reroute to Bitly rather of to whatever the initial URL was. That will then show you the Bitly page on which the shortened URL is hosted and will show you what the initial link was..
You can try this technique with a URL that I recently reduced. Bit.ly/ THWTAPRIL will lead you straight to a copy of the slides that I used in my current Intro to Teaching History With Technology webinar. Bit.ly/ THWTAPRIL+ will lead you to the Bitly page where you can see my original discussion URL and see when I created the shortened URL..
View this brief video to see how you can use the “+” technique to learn whats hidden behind a Bitly link..