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Bitly is a convenient URL shortener that Ive utilized for several years. As a registered user I can create custom, reduced URLs that people can really spell. I use these whenever I need to share a link to a Canva or Google Slides discussion since the default URLs supplied by those services are incoherent and always long..

Bitly is a convenient URL shortener that Ive utilized for many years. There is a simple method to rapidly identify whats behind a Bitly URL without actually clicking on the link. The trick is to simply include a “+” to the end of any Bitly URL. When you include the “+” the URL will reroute to Bitly instead of to whatever the original URL was.

Not all Bitly users are using them for excellent reasons. Some individuals utilize them to conceal dubious links. Fortunately, there is a simple method to rapidly identify whats behind a Bitly URL without in fact clicking on the link. The technique is to just include 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 reveal you the Bitly page on which the shortened URL is hosted and will reveal you what the initial link was..
You can try this technique with a URL that I just recently reduced. Bit.ly/ THWTAPRIL will lead you straight to a copy of the slides that I used in my recent 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 developed the reduced URL..
Enjoy this brief video to see how you can utilize the “+” technique to discover whats hidden behind a Bitly link..

Applications for Education.
Structure excellent digital citizenship and cyber safety skills is something that everybody need to be assisting our students do. Revealing them little ideas like this one to prevent clicking on suspicious links is one of the ways that we can assist our students build their digital citizenship and cyber security abilities.

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

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

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