What’s Hidden Behind a Bitly Link?

This post initially appeared on FreeTech4Teachers.com. It has actually been utilized without consent if you see it elsewhere. Sites that routinely take my (Richard Byrnes) work include CloudComputin, TodayHeadline, and 711Web.

Bitly is a helpful URL shortener that Ive utilized for several years. As a registered user I can create custom, shortened URLs that individuals can in fact spell. I use these whenever I require to share a link to a Canva or Google Slides discussion because the default URLs offered by those services are constantly long and incoherent..

Bitly is a handy URL shortener that Ive utilized for numerous years. There is an easy method to quickly determine 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.

Applications for Education.
Building good digital citizenship and cyber safety skills is something that everyone ought to be helping our trainees do. Showing them little pointers like this one to prevent clicking on suspicious links is among the methods that we can help our trainees build their digital citizenship and cyber security abilities.

Regrettably, not all Bitly users are utilizing them for good factors. Some people use them to conceal dubious links. There is an easy method to rapidly identify whats behind a Bitly URL without actually clicking on the link. The trick is to merely add a “+” to the end of any Bitly URL. When you add 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 technique with a URL that I just recently shortened. Bit.ly/ THWTAPRIL will lead you directly to a copy of the slides that I used 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 developed the reduced URL..
View this brief video to see how you can use the “+” technique to learn whats concealed behind a Bitly link..

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