Bitly is a convenient URL shortener that Ive utilized for lots of years. There is an easy way to rapidly determine whats behind a Bitly URL without actually clicking on the link. The technique is to simply include a “+” to the end of any Bitly URL. When you include the “+” the URL will reroute to Bitly rather of to whatever the original URL was.

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, but adding a “+” at the end of that TinyURL will take you to the page where you can see the initial link without clicking on it.

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

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

This post originally appeared on FreeTech4Teachers.com. It has actually been used without authorization if you see it in other places.

Applications for Education.
Structure great digital citizenship and cyber safety skills is something that all of us must be assisting our trainees do. Showing them little tips like this one to prevent clicking on suspicious links is one of the manner ins which we can assist our students build their digital citizenship and cyber safety skills.

Heres a video introduction of how to see whats behind a TinyURL without really clicking the link.

Not all Bitly users are utilizing them for excellent factors. Some individuals use them to hide wicked links. There is a simple way to quickly determine whats behind a Bitly URL without actually clicking on the link. The technique is to just include a “+” to the end of any Bitly URL. When you add the “+” the URL will reroute to Bitly rather of to whatever the original URL was. That will then reveal 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 just recently reduced. Bit.ly/ THWTAPRIL will lead you directly to a copy of the slides that I utilized 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 initial discussion URL and see when I produced the reduced URL..
Watch this brief video to see how you can utilize the “+” technique to discover out whats hidden behind a Bitly link..