Bitly is a helpful URL shortener that Ive utilized for lots of years. There is a simple method to quickly identify whats behind a Bitly URL without actually clicking on the link. The technique is to merely add a “+” to the end of any Bitly URL. When you add the “+” the URL will redirect to Bitly instead of to whatever the original URL was.

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

Bitly is a handy URL shortener that Ive used for lots of years. As a signed up user I can develop customized, reduced URLs that individuals can in fact spell. I use these whenever I require to share a link to a Canva or Google Slides discussion because the default URLs offered by those services are always long and incoherent..

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

This post originally appeared on FreeTech4Teachers.com. It has actually been used without permission if you see it elsewhere.

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

There is a simple way to rapidly determine whats behind a Bitly URL without in fact clicking on the link. The technique is to simply add a “+” to the end of any Bitly URL. When you add the “+” the URL will redirect to Bitly rather of to whatever the original URL was.
You can try this technique with a URL that I just recently shortened. Bit.ly/ THWTAPRIL will lead you directly 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 initial presentation URL and see when I produced the shortened URL..
See this short video to see how you can utilize the “+” technique to discover whats concealed behind a Bitly link..

Applications for Education.
Building excellent digital citizenship and cyber security abilities is something that everybody need to be helping our trainees do. Revealing them little suggestions like this one to avoid clicking on suspicious links is one of the manner ins which we can help our students construct their digital citizenship and cyber safety skills.