Bitly is a convenient URL shortener that Ive used for several years. As a signed up user I can develop custom, shortened URLs that people can actually spell. I use these whenever I need to share a link to a Canva or Google Slides presentation since the default URLs offered by those services are incoherent and always long..

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 original link without clicking it.

Applications for Education.
Structure good digital citizenship and cyber security skills is something that everyone ought to be helping our students do. Showing them little ideas like this one to avoid clicking suspicious links is one of the manner ins which we can help our students develop their digital citizenship and cyber security abilities.

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

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

There is an easy method to quickly determine 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 add the “+” the URL will reroute to Bitly rather of to whatever the original URL was.
You can attempt this technique with a URL that I recently reduced. Bit.ly/ THWTAPRIL will lead you directly to a copy of the slides that I utilized 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 created the shortened URL..
Enjoy this short video to see how you can utilize the “+” technique to learn whats concealed behind a Bitly link..

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

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