This post originally appeared on FreeTech4Teachers.com. If you see it elsewhere, it has actually been used without approval. Websites that routinely take my (Richard Byrnes) work include CloudComputin, TodayHeadline, and 711Web.

Bitly is a helpful URL shortener that Ive used for many years. There is an easy method to quickly determine whats behind a Bitly URL without really clicking on the link. When you add the “+” the URL will reroute to Bitly instead of to whatever the original URL was.

Not all Bitly users are using them for excellent reasons. Some individuals utilize them to hide wicked links. Thankfully, there is a simple method to rapidly identify 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 show you the Bitly page on which the shortened URL is hosted and will show you what the original link was..
You can attempt 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 utilized 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 shortened URL..
Watch this brief video to see how you can use the “+” trick to discover whats concealed behind a Bitly link..

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

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