Bitly is an useful URL shortener that Ive utilized for many years. There is a simple way to rapidly identify whats behind a Bitly URL without really clicking on the link. The technique is to merely 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.

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

Bitly is a helpful URL shortener that Ive used for lots of years. As a signed up user I can produce custom-made, shortened URLs that people can actually spell. I use these whenever I require to share a link to a Canva or Google Slides discussion because the default URLs supplied by those services are incoherent and always long..

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

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, 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.

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

Not all Bitly users are utilizing them for great reasons. Some people use them to conceal wicked links. Thankfully, there is a simple way to rapidly identify whats behind a Bitly URL without really 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 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 attempt this trick with a URL that I recently shortened. Bit.ly/ THWTAPRIL will lead you directly 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 initial presentation URL and see when I produced the reduced URL..
Enjoy this brief video to see how you can use the “+” technique to discover whats concealed behind a Bitly link..

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