Bitly is a handy URL shortener that Ive utilized for lots of years. As a signed up user I can produce custom-made, reduced URLs that individuals can really spell. I use these whenever I require to share a link to a Canva or Google Slides discussion since the default URLs provided by those services are incoherent and constantly long..

Bitly is a convenient URL shortener that Ive utilized for many years. There is an easy method to rapidly identify whats behind a Bitly URL without actually clicking on the link. When you include the “+” the URL will reroute to Bitly instead of to whatever the original URL was.

This post originally appeared on FreeTech4Teachers.com. It has actually been used without approval if you see it in other places. Websites that regularly steal my (Richard Byrnes) work include CloudComputin, TodayHeadline, and 711Web.

Applications for Education.
Structure good digital citizenship and cyber security skills is something that everybody ought to be assisting our trainees do. Showing them little ideas 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 security skills.

Not all Bitly users are utilizing them for great factors. Some people use them to conceal nefarious links. Thankfully, there is a simple way to rapidly identify whats behind a Bitly URL without in fact clicking the link. The trick is to merely include 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. That will then show you the Bitly page on which the shortened URL is hosted and will show you what the initial link was..
You can attempt this trick with a URL that I recently reduced. Bit.ly/ THWTAPRIL will lead you straight to a copy of the slides that I utilized my current Intro to Teaching History With Technology webinar. Bit.ly/ THWTAPRIL+ will lead you to the Bitly page where you can see my original presentation URL and see when I created the reduced URL..
View this short video to see how you can utilize the “+” trick to learn whats concealed behind a Bitly link..