Bitly is a convenient URL shortener that Ive used for numerous years. As a registered user I can produce custom, reduced URLs that individuals can actually spell. I utilize these whenever I require to share a link to a Canva or Google Slides presentation because the default URLs supplied by those services are always long and incoherent..

This post initially appeared on FreeTech4Teachers.com. It has been used without approval if you see it somewhere else. Websites that routinely take my (Richard Byrnes) work consist of CloudComputin, TodayHeadline, and 711Web.

Bitly is a handy URL shortener that Ive used for numerous years. There is a simple method to rapidly determine whats behind a Bitly URL without in fact clicking on the link. When you add the “+” the URL will redirect to Bitly instead of to whatever the initial URL was.

Applications for Education.
Structure great digital citizenship and cyber security abilities is something that everybody need to be assisting our trainees do. Revealing them little pointers like this one to avoid clicking on suspicious links is one of the methods that we can help our students construct their digital citizenship and cyber security skills.

Not all Bitly users are using them for great factors. Some people utilize them to conceal nefarious links. There is a simple method to rapidly determine whats behind a Bitly URL without actually clicking on the link. The trick is to just add 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. 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 straight 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 discussion URL and see when I produced the reduced URL..
Watch this brief video to see how you can utilize the “+” trick to discover whats concealed behind a Bitly link..